All bark, no bite?
EU farmers have already taken to the streets over rising costs and tough new green rules. Another spike in fertilizer prices could spark fresh rounds of protests — think tractors blocking roads and paralyzing capitals. That’s a political nightmare Brussels wants to avoid.
At the same time, the slow rollout frustrates European fertilizer producers, who say Moscow is being given more time to keep on flooding the market. Last year, the EU imported 6.17 million metric tons of Russian fertilizer worth €2.12 billion — the highest volume since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to Eurostat and customs data.
For Europe’s fertilizer makers, the problem isn’t just Russian imports — it’s that Brussels took so long to act.
Tiffanie Stephani, vice president at Norway-based Yara, one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers, says the measures won’t be felt soon enough.
“We appreciate that the Commission is taking measures to reduce imports of Russian fertilizers, but unfortunately, it is too little, too late,” Stephani said.
She warned that by delaying serious action until 2026 or later, the EU risks jeopardizing its own fertilizer industry while allowing Russian products to keep pouring in.
“We urge the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers to increase the ambition level. Anything less would be a significant missed opportunity,” she added.
(This story has been updated with comment from Copa and Cogeca.)
