Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has said he will support the suspension of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on fertiliser at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers today (Monday, March 30).

The CBAM is effectively a tax on imports of carbon-intensive products into the EU, including fertiliser.

The CBAM requires importers of fertiliser to pay for certificates to import the products.

However, due to high prices of inputs as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, there are calls for the CBAM to be suspended when it comes to fertiliser.

Minister Heydon will back those calls at a meeting of agriculture ministers in the Council of the EU today, saying before the meeting: "The [CBAM] risks the addition of a further layer of fertiliser cost inflation, which is why Ireland supports the provision of a mechanism to temporarily suspend the application of CBAM to fertiliser, and for this to be done in the most expeditious manner possible.”

He also welcomed the proposal from the European Commission to put forward a fertiliser action plan, which will be aimed at cutting EU farmers' reliance on imported fertilisers, and potential crisis support measures as the Middle East conflict continues.

Minister Heydon commented: "The crisis in the Middle East has exerted pressure in particular not only on the price of fertiliser but also on its likely availability as the year progresses.

"I look forward to the commission's proposed Fertiliser Action Plan, which will propose measures to enhance EU production of fertilisers and reduce dependency on imports, as well as supporting the EU agri-food sector to meet the challenges associated with current geopolitical issues," he added.

Minister Heydon outlined his views on his way into the council meeting this morning:

Vision for agriculture

Today's meeting of EU agriculture ministers will also discuss the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, which was developed by the commission last year.

"I welcome the vision’s recognition that support through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) remains indispensable in underpinning farm incomes, food security and the resilience of the agri-food sector," Minister Heydon said.

"I also welcome actions that have been taken to address unfair trading practices, and to enhance competitiveness, including through CAP and environmental simplification packages," he added.

"As negotiations on the CAP framework post-2027 continue, securing an adequately funded CAP under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) will be essential to delivery of the vision's objectives," Minister Heydon said.

The minister said this will be a "key issue" throughout Ireland’s presidency of the council, which will begin in July.

EU presidency

Minister Heydon is also set to have bilateral meetings with his counterparts from a number of member states today in preparation for Ireland's EU presidency.

These include meetings with ministers from France, Sweden and the Netherlands.

The minister said these meetings will "further strengthen relationships" in advance of Ireland's presidency of the council.

Minister Heydon is set to discuss Ireland's presidency priorities, as well as the latest developments in the negotiations on the post-2027 EU budget - the MFF for 2027-2034 - and the regulatory framework of the CAP.