EU plans tariffs to wean off Russian, Belarusian fertilizers
"From July 1, we will most likely be fully cut off from unnecessary Russian and Belarusian fertilizers," Polish Deputy Minister of Development and Technology Michał Baranowski told journalists in Brussels.
The European Parliament will vote on Thursday on a new EU regulation aimed at, among other things, increasing tariffs on fertilizers imported to the EU from Russia and Belarus. This measure is intended to limit their import into the Union, which has been rapidly increasing in recent years.
As Baranowski stated, the work on raising tariffs on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus is a significant achievement for the Polish presidency in the EU. He emphasized the "security dimension" in this context.
"This is something that was very important for the Polish presidency, for the Polish government, and we are very pleased that we are at the end of this process and that from July 1, we will most likely be fully cut off from these unnecessary Russian and Belarusian fertilizers," he added.
The new EU regulation project suggests that the increase in tariffs on nitrogen fertilizers will occur gradually over a transitional period lasting three years. The increased tariffs aim to progressively replace Russia's share in fertilizer imports to the EU with other sources.
Some EU member states have already phased out Russian nitrogen fertilizers without experiencing supply shortages or market price increases. Baranowski travelled to Brussels for a meeting of ministers responsible for competitiveness.
Russian fertilizers have been flooding Poland since last year. According to available data provided by the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, in January and February of this year alone, the import of these products from Russia increased by 64% compared to the same period in 2022.
