Source: European Parliament
The stated tariff measures proposed by the Commission[1] at the end of January 2025 are not yet in force, and their final scope will depend on the outcome of the ordinary legislative procedure currently ongoing in the European Parliament and the Council.
To date, imports of Russian nitrogen-based fertilisers continue to take place as before. If the Commission proposal is adopted in its current form, increased tariffs on imports from Russia and Belarus would start to apply as of 1 July 2025.
The Commission proposal is designed to gradually phase out the EU’s dependence on Russian nitrogen-based fertilisers through a transitional approach.
This involves measured annual customs duty increases on imports from Russia of such fertilisers over a period of three years, minimising the risk of potential price impacts.
The Commission expects the measure to result in a gradual and orderly replacement of Russian nitrogen-based fertilisers with alternatives, including domestically produced ones, contributing to fair competition in the EU fertilisers market and supporting a stable, long-term role of the EU fertilisers industry in ensuring the EU food security .
The proposal mandates the Commission to monitor nitrogen-based fertiliser prices for four years following the foreseen Regulation’s implementation. If prices rise substantially, the Commission will assess the situation and take appropriate measures to address the increase.
Such measures may include proposing the temporary suspension of tariffs on nitrogen-based fertilisers imported from sources other than Russia and Belarus.
- [1] https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=COM(2025)34&lang=en