Ireland calls for carbon border tweaks amid fertiliser shortage in Euronews interview

Published on 30/03/2026 - 11:27 GMT+2

Ireland’s inferior agriculture curate Timmy Dooley has warned the outlook for farmers is “stark”, arsenic soaring substance and fertiliser costs heap unit connected the assemblage up of an EU ministers’ gathering successful Brussels.

He urged flexibility connected EU clime rules, including exempting fertilisers from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which makes importers wage for production-related emissions.

Supply has besides been deed by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war, affecting 13% of planetary fertiliser, according to the United Nations.

This comes aft the EU moved to prohibition fertilisers from Belarus and Russia successful July 2025.

Ireland’s stance is backed by France and Italy, which besides privation farmers shielded from c costs connected fertiliser imports to support competitiveness and nutrient production.

France is pushing for urgent relief, including a impermanent suspension of CBAM connected fertilisers and ammonia, perchance backdated to 1 January 2026.

Meanwhile, MEPs from crossed the governmental spectrum — from the European People’s Party to Patriots for Europe — are calling for an appraisal of the Hormuz tensions connected supply, prices and imaginable shortages.

EU commercialized main Maroš Šefčovič said fertiliser prices are inactive astir 60% higher than successful 2020, putting “considerable strain” connected farmers and hurting competitiveness.

Ireland, France and Italy — each large farming nations — person besides opposed commercialized deals they fearfulness could undercut their producers.

The European Commission plans to provisionally use the Mercosur commercialized woody from 1 May, covering Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — but Ireland remains against it.

Dooley said Dublin cannot enactment the woody implicit concerns connected standards and biology protections, though helium welcomed a caller EU-Australia agreement.

“There are existent opportunities for Ireland — successful agri-food and beyond,” helium said.

Watch the afloat interrogation connected Europe Today astatine 8am CET from Monday to Friday, unrecorded connected Euronews and crossed each platforms.