EU Launches Fertilisers Action Plan to Boost Food Security, Cut Dependency on Russian and Belarusian Imports

The European Commission published on Tuesday 19 May 2026 a comprehensive Fertilisers Action Plan designed to reduce the EU’s structural dependency on Russian and Belarusian imports, stabilise volatile global prices, and safeguard European agricultural productivity in an increasingly fragmented geopolitical environment. The plan, built around four strategic pillars spanning supply diversification, industrial support, circular economy measures, and innovation, aims to cut import dependency by 50 per cent by 2030 while investing €500 million in strategic stockpiles and accelerating the transition to green ammonia production. The initiative responds to a critical vulnerability: the EU currently imports approximately 70 per cent of its mineral fertiliser nitrogen needs, with Russia historically supplying 25-30 per cent of nitrogen fertilisers and Belarus 15-20 per cent of potassium fertilisers before sanctions disrupted these flows following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Fertiliser Supply Crisis and Food Security Risk

Mineral fertilisers underpin approximately 50 per cent of global food production, enabling crop yields well above the natural fertility of soils through three primary nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The EU’s vulnerability became acute following 2022, when sanctions against Russia and Belarus combined with soaring natural gas prices—the primary input for ammonia production via the Haber-Bosch process—rendered major European production plants uneconomical. Facilities in Germany, Lithuania, and the Netherlands either closed or fell below capacity. Replacement supplies from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Canada, Israel, and Jordan are substantially more expensive and logistically complex, while the Middle East energy shock has put renewed upward pressure on ammonia prices specifically.

Without reliable fertiliser supply, the Commission warns that EU food production could drop substantially, with cascading effects on food prices and rural employment. Fertiliser prices in the EU surged 70-150 per cent between 2021 and 2023, before stabilising at levels still well above pre-Ukraine war norms. The Commission estimates that without intervention, food price inflation in the EU could be 0.4-0.7 percentage points higher annually through 2028—a significant burden for consumers and producers alike.

Four Pillars: Supply Diversification, Industrial Support, Efficiency, and Innovation

The Action Plan rests on four integrated strategic pillars. The first pillar, supply diversification, establishes new trade partnerships with North African and Middle Eastern producers including Morocco, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia for ammonia supplies, while enhancing EU strategic stockpiles and integrating critical minerals sourcing via the Critical Raw Materials Act framework. Roughly 90 per cent of EU phosphate imports come from Morocco—which holds the world’s largest reserves—making deeper integration of EU-Moroccan supply chains essential to the plan’s success.

The second pillar provides targeted industrial support through state aid frameworks for EU ammonia and potash producers contending with high gas prices, alongside co-financing for green ammonia projects under the European Hydrogen Bank. The third pillar emphasises efficiency and circularity through precision agriculture deployment, expanded use of organic waste and biosolids as nitrogen sources, phosphorus recovery from wastewater treatment plants, and structured demand-side reduction in horticulture. The fourth pillar channels Horizon Europe funding toward nitrogen-fixing crop varieties, bio-stimulants, alternative phosphorus sources, and improved breeding for fertiliser-efficient varieties.

Green Ammonia: The Long-Term Transition

A central thread of the plan is the transition to green ammonia produced from renewable electricity via electrolysis to generate hydrogen, then combined with nitrogen from air through the Haber-Bosch process. Several pilot projects operate in Norway, Spain, and Germany, with capacity expected to scale through 2027-2030. The Commission projects that 30-40 per cent of EU nitrogen fertiliser could be green ammonia by 2035, with full transition possible by 2050. However, green ammonia currently costs 2-3 times conventional ammonia, presenting a significant affordability challenge that the industrial support pillar aims to address.

Member State Reactions: Consensus Frays Over Implementation

Initial Member State reactions reveal consensus on principle but divergence on implementation. France, Italy, and Spain broadly welcomed the plan while calling for stronger industrial support and faster Commission action. Germany and the Netherlands expressed concerns about the state aid framework and potential competition with green hydrogen priorities. Poland, Romania, and Hungary emphasised the need for smallholder access to subsidised fertilisers and protection against price shocks affecting farmers. Baltic states flagged concerns about residual dependency on Belarus and Russian shadow trading.

COPA-COGECA, the umbrella body of EU farmers’ organisations, welcomed the plan’s principle while pressing for more substantial financial support during the transition. The plan’s effectiveness will depend heavily on whether Member States accompany Commission measures with national resources, addressing the critical divide between Brussels-led coordination and ground-level agricultural realities.

Implementation Timeline and Geopolitical Framing

The Action Plan sets milestones running through 2030. The Commission will launch an EU strategic fertiliser stockpile in Q3 2026 with an initial €500 million tranche, establish a fully operational cross-border fertiliser monitoring framework by 2027, assess green ammonia industrial scaling progress in 2028, and target a 50 per cent reduction in import dependency versus 2024 baseline by 2030. The European Commission stated that the plan constitutes “Europe’s plan to boost fertiliser supply and food security”—framing the initiative as essential to maintaining EU agricultural autonomy in a fragmenting global trade environment.

The plan also reinforces cooperation with the African Union on fertiliser supply chains, recognising that African agriculture remains far more fertiliser-deprived than European agriculture, creating both humanitarian and strategic partnership opportunities.

Conclusion: Autonomy Through Diversification

The Fertilisers Action Plan represents a calibrated response to structural vulnerability, balancing short-term supply security against long-term green transition objectives. Success hinges on Member State coordination, sustained industrial investment, and the viability of green ammonia economics—all contingent on broader EU energy and industrial policy choices unfolding over the next four years.