Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen, in a written answer on 17 June 2026, detailed a series of measures the European Commission has adopted to support farmers facing high energy and fertiliser prices, responding to a priority question from Romanian MEP Ioan-Rareş Bogdan (PPE). The answer, which comes amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, signals the Commission's intent to prevent a food crisis by combining state aid, trade liberalisation, energy transition support, and a dedicated fertiliser action plan.
The question, submitted on 25 March 2026, had pressed the Commission on what concrete steps it was considering beyond the flexibility already shown to national mitigation mechanisms, noting that Romania had cut excise duty on agricultural diesel but that uncertainty remained high. Hansen's reply, the first Commission response on this file, confirms that the EU executive has been working on multiple fronts since the question was tabled.
On 29 April 2026, the Commission adopted a temporary state aid framework allowing support for primary agricultural production, one of the sectors most exposed to the price shock. Days earlier, on 22 April, it published the AccelerateEU communication, proposing measures to build a more resilient EU energy system, including support for circular solutions and investments in industrial decarbonisation that will benefit farmers. On 19 May, the Commission adopted a Fertiliser Action Plan with short-term actions such as mobilising the agricultural reserve, liquidity support under the Common Agricultural Policy, and greater flexibility for advance payments, alongside longer-term measures to boost EU production capacity for low-carbon and renewable fertilisers and reduce import dependencies. Additionally, duty-free tariff rate quotas for ammonia, urea and other fertilisers from countries other than Russia and Belarus are in place until 31 May 2027.
The answer is largely declarative, listing already-adopted measures rather than announcing new commitments, though Hansen pledges continued assessment and possible additional support using available instruments. The policy orientation is pragmatic: the Commission is balancing immediate relief (state aid, tariff relief, CAP flexibility) with structural shifts (energy transition, domestic fertiliser production) to reduce long-term vulnerability. Institutional follow-up is expected through the ongoing monitoring of the situation and potential activation of further measures under the CAP and state aid rules.
EU farmers gain short-term liquidity and input cost relief through state aid and tariff quotas, but face uncertainty over the duration of support and the pace of transition to domestic energy and fertiliser sources. EU agri-food businesses benefit from reduced input costs but may face higher compliance costs from new circular and decarbonisation requirements. EU taxpayers bear the cost of state aid and tariff revenue losses. Non-Russian/Belarusian fertiliser exporters gain market access through the duty-free quotas.