The EU’s Fertiliser Action Plan must reflect realities on the ground and "set a credible pathway towards sustainable nutrient management", Copa Cogeca has said.

According to the umbrella organisation representing European farmers and agri-cooperatives: “The EU has the tools to act, and decisive measures are urgently needed to safeguard farm viability and Europe’s food security in an increasingly turbulent geopolitical context.

“Fertilisers are indispensable to European food and feed production and a cornerstone of Europe’s food security.

The EU Commission will present its Fertiliser Action Plan in the second quarter of this year.

According to the Commission, the plan will address measures "such as market transparency and the increased availability and use of recycled nutrients and alternatives, including through modifications of the regulatory framework if required."

Speaking in January about the proposed plan, EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said: "The focus will be on greater market transparency and on scaling up recycled nutrients and alternative inputs supported by regulatory adjustment where needed,"

Ahead of the release of the Fertiliser Action Plan, Copa Cogeca has released a position paper proposing EU-level measures to "address the fertiliser crisis and ensure long-term market stability".

The group described this paper as the "farming sector’s common position on a comprehensive set of immediate, medium- and long-term measures to deliver relief and restore market stability".

Copa Cogeca’s position paper identifies a range of practical EU-level solutions that the commission “should urgently integrate into the Fertiliser Action Plan”.

Immediate suggested measures include “suspending the CBAM [Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism] for fertilisers and mitigating its cost impact” and “suspending MFN [most favoured nation] tariffs and anti-dumping measures on fertiliser imports”.

The group also said: “To reduce dependency on synthetic fertilisers, the Nitrates Directive should be amended without delay to allow greater flexibility in the use of manure where agronomically justified, and to authorise the use of digestate above current thresholds.”

'Harmonised rules'

Copa Cogeca also call for “harmonised rules to scale up organic and recycled nutrients, which can substitute synthetic nitrogen without compromising yields while strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy”.

It added: “RENURE [recovered nitrogen from manure] criteria should be aligned with the Joint Research Centre’s recommendations to ensure full technological neutrality.

“The upcoming Fertiliser Action Plan must reflect the agronomic and economic realities on the ground, deliver immediate relief, and set a credible pathway towards sustainable nutrient management,” Copa Cogeca added.