MEP Mihai Tudose (S&D) has called on the European Commission to urgently mobilise EU budget funds to help farmers hit by soaring fertiliser prices, warning that the crisis could seriously affect agricultural production this year and in 2027. In a parliamentary question submitted on 29 May 2026, Tudose highlighted that Romanian farmers face the highest fertiliser price increases in the EU, with prices 16.8% higher in the final quarter of 2025 than at the end of 2024 — double the EU average. He urged the Commission to specify the timeframe, amount, and eligibility criteria for the financial support package it has promised.
Tudose acknowledged the Commission's medium-term plan to ensure fertiliser supply and food security but argued it does not solve the immediate problem. He stressed that strengthening internal production is the lasting solution, specifically calling for support to restart production at the Azomureș plant in Romania. However, he noted that even this partial solution will take time, making short-term budget mobilisation essential.
As a parliamentary question under Rule 144, the Commission is expected to respond within approximately six weeks. The reply will signal whether the Commission is prepared to expand the agricultural reserve or introduce new emergency measures, and will indicate the level of priority given to the plight of Romanian farmers relative to other member states. Tudose's question targets a cleavage between immediate financial relief for farmers versus long-term structural investments, and between national production support and EU-level budget flexibility. The outcome will affect Romanian farmers most directly, but also EU agricultural producers facing input cost pressures, EU taxpayers funding the budget, and the Commission's credibility in crisis response.
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