The sharp increase in fertiliser prices remains one of the main pressures on agricultural production costs in the European Union, with a direct impact on farmers’ competitiveness. In this context, Romania called, during the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) held in Brussels at the end of January 2026, for the establishment of European compensation mechanisms for farmers affected by rising input prices.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development emphasised the need to align climate policies with concrete economic support measures, so that the green transition does not generate structural losses in the agricultural sector. A central point of the discussions was the impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which aims to tax emissions associated with imports of products with a high carbon footprint, including chemical fertilisers.

Romania supported the extension and temporary suspension of the application of CBAM for all categories of fertilisers used in agriculture, not only for products already included in the initial stages of implementation, such as ammonia and urea. The main argument was the risk of further increases in agricultural production costs, in a context already marked by volatility in energy and raw material prices.

At the same time, the Romanian delegation called for the development of financial compensation instruments at European level, allowing farmers to maintain production levels and avoid reductions in cultivated areas due to high fertilisation costs. The discussions took place within a broader framework focused on protecting the competitiveness of European agriculture and maintaining food security.

The issue of compensation for agricultural inputs is becoming increasingly prominent in the European debate, amid pressures generated by decarbonisation policies and imbalances in supply chains. For Romania, where fertilisation remains a key factor for crop yields, potential support mechanisms could significantly influence the performance of the agricultural sector in the coming years.