- 2 days ago
ЕС нужны долгосрочные решения по удобрениям, чтобы избежать дефицита продовольствия
Комиссар ЕС по сельскому хозяйству предупредил: чтобы избежать дефицита продовольствия из‑за роста цен на удобрения, союзу нужны устойчивые поставки, а не только краткосрочная финансовая поддержка.
ЧИТАТЬ ДАЛЕЕ : http://ru.euronews.com/2026/06/10/long-term-fertiliser-solutions-are-needed-to-avoid-food-shortages-in-the-eu-says-the-eu-ag
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Комиссар ЕС по сельскому хозяйству предупредил: чтобы избежать дефицита продовольствия из‑за роста цен на удобрения, союзу нужны устойчивые поставки, а не только краткосрочная финансовая поддержка.
ЧИТАТЬ ДАЛЕЕ : http://ru.euronews.com/2026/06/10/long-term-fertiliser-solutions-are-needed-to-avoid-food-shortages-in-the-eu-says-the-eu-ag
Подписывайтесь: Euronews можно смотреть на Dailymotion на 12 языках
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03:58because the problem is a long-standing problem.
04:01We are over-dependent on energy imported from outside the European Union.
04:06And when we speak fertilizers, the main ingredient in the end of our fertilizers,
04:10the chemical fertilizers, is energy.
04:12So this is, of course, a long-standing problem.
04:14At the same time, we have as well imports from fertilizers.
04:18Around 40 to 45% of our fertilizers are imported from third countries.
04:22And that makes us quite vulnerable to have this dependency.
04:25And that is why we now adapted this Fertilizer Action Plan.
04:29We proposed it on the 19th of May,
04:31and which will bring as well short-term solutions in the form of financial aid.
04:36So we will put on the table more than half a billion euros
04:39to help farmers immediately, money that can be topped up by the member states.
04:43So we have the short-term financial support.
04:46But we're looking as well into solutions in the medium term
04:50to make a better use of our available organic fertilizers
04:55because we are underusing this potential nutrient recycling, precision farming.
05:00So there is a lot to win on efficiency as well and better nutrient use.
05:05And then, of course, we need as well to strengthen in a certain form our industry
05:09to remain a producer on the European soil.
05:13And there, I think we need as well to do these steps together with the industry.
05:17On this Fertilizer Action Plan, what is its main message to put farmers at ease?
05:26The main message is we have your back for the next sowing season
05:31because a lot of farmers are considering not to produce
05:36because it's just too expensive and they can't pass on the costs.
05:39And that is why they need an immediate financial release,
05:42which we have now put on the table.
05:44And, of course, in the meanwhile, we need to do our homework as well
05:48and address the issues in order to make fertilizers not only available
05:52but as well affordable because otherwise there will be food shortages
05:57in the European Union but also in the world.
06:00And that will have a direct impact on the prices for the consumers.
06:03And I think that is what we need to consider.
06:05We should, these crises, we are not in the first fertilizer crisis.
06:12We have now two consecutive ones, very important.
06:15And this will come back if we are not ensuring a more stable
06:19and more reliable production cycle and availability.
06:23And that is why we need to act now.
06:25That might cost some money in the first place,
06:27but in the medium and long term, this will be less expensive than be over-dependent.
06:32And that is exactly the essence as well from a common agriculture policy.
06:36Fertilizers are an important part of very vulnerable supply chains.
06:41How do we secure them for the future?
06:44Then we need, of course, reliable partnerships
06:47because not everything that we use in the fertilizers
06:50is actually available and produced in the European Union.
06:54So this is why this domestic and international partnership
06:59is of such utmost importance.
07:02And that is why we have, by the way, as well,
07:05a meeting of the G7 agriculture minister to discuss this.
07:09The problem is not only European, it's a global problem.
07:12And there the cooperation will be key.
07:14Yeah, indeed.
07:15Now, some fertilizers are environmentally controversial.
07:19Is it fair to ask European farmers to meet strict environmental requirements
07:24while importing food from countries that don't?
07:28Well, I think we have the highest standards in the European Union worldwide.
07:34There may be some other third countries that are on the same level.
07:37But, of course, to ask more from our farmers comes as well at the price again.
07:42And I think we need as well to not be hypocrite if we impose this to our farmers.
07:48We need as well to at least expect the same criteria when products are coming in.
07:52And I think we have some recent examples that show very clearly our system works.
07:57Certain products are not allowed into the European Union.
08:01We have as well recently proposed the so-called food and feed omnibus
08:05where we put the maximum residue levels of certain plant protection products
08:09that are not allowed in the European Union to zero when it comes to imports
08:13in order to align this production.
08:15And I think this is something very key to say.
08:18Our food security as well when it comes to the standards is not up for discussion,
08:23is not up for negotiation.
08:25If the Mercosur agreement comes into force,
08:28can you guarantee it won't hurt European farmers with discussion?
08:32Well, I think we have to be very careful not to generalize
08:37because when I speak to different farming organizations, depending on the sector,
08:42some are asking me, we have to do this agreement.
08:44We need to export our production.
08:46Otherwise, we will have to close back here.
08:50I think that is something we don't want.
08:52We have a crisis in the dairy sector.
08:54Currently, we have a crisis in the wines and spirit sectors.
08:57And these products need to be sold somewhere.
08:59Otherwise, either our farmers just become bankrupt
09:03or we have to intervene financially with money,
09:06where it's very difficult to say where it should come from.
09:09So these markets, that's our offensive sectors.
09:12And for the defensive sectors like beef, like poultry,
09:16we have carefully negotiated tariff rate quotas.
09:19We have like an emergency break to stop the imports.
09:23And I think that is a security we have never had before.
09:25But of course, as well on the production standards,
09:28I think we need to do our homework.
09:31And especially in the member states,
09:32when it comes to the controls at our ports, at our airports,
09:35where the products come in, that these controls and checks are done.
09:39So are European consumers willing to pay more for European standards?
09:43Or is that a political assumption?
09:45Well, it depends on the consumers, of course.
09:49There are a lot of consumers that just go for the cheapest option.
09:52But I think we need to put more on the dance floor,
09:57let's say, our European products as well.
10:00And I believe it's very important that when it's European,
10:03that this is more visible,
10:04because consumers are eventually willing to pay a few cents more
10:09if it is a European product,
10:11especially when it comes, for example, to processed food.
10:15And I think that is in line as well with the Buy European Food Campaign
10:18that the Commission President von der Leyen presented last year.
10:23Therefore, we need now as well to implement this,
10:26make the information to the consumer available
10:29to benefit as well more from the domestic market.
10:33And these are the next steps to do.
10:34Also, I think public procurement has a big role to play.
10:38And that is something where we are working currently as well on
10:41to include as well food because we serve around 8 million meals
10:46in our canteens, in the schools or in hospitals, et cetera.
10:49This has a huge potential leverage to better reward
10:53the higher standard foods that we produce in the European Union
10:58to as well reward better the regional products.
11:02And I think that is a way we need to explore as well
11:05to be more resilient and help our farmers
11:08to have the proper income they deserve.
11:11So, at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year,
11:15you spoke at an event,
11:17War of Nutrition Resilience Against Food Weaponization.
11:21How can we prevent food from becoming a weapon in war?
11:26Well, of course, I think it's very important
11:29that we become aware about the origin of our common agriculture policy
11:35because in the 1950s, 60s, Europe was not necessarily a continent
11:41where we were self-sufficient in food production.
11:43That is why we had to encourage food production.
11:46That came at a price, but this price, again,
11:48was lower than to be dependent, lower than to be starving,
11:52and lower than to have the political instability
11:55that we see in many countries in the world
11:57due to insufficient food available.
12:01So, I think that is important to remember us.
12:04And this is something we need, you and me,
12:07two to three times a day.
12:08We need a proper food in order to be in good shape,
12:12to be healthy.
12:13And that is something that should not be at the mercy
12:17of imports or unstable partners
12:20that eventually produce a little bit less expensive than we do.
12:24But nonetheless, we see these dependencies
12:26in many other sectors when it comes to semiconductors,
12:29when it comes to medical products,
12:31and so on to energy as well.
12:33That makes us vulnerable.
12:35And I think for these vulnerabilities,
12:38we need really to tackle them
12:40in order not to be able to be blackmailed.
12:43And that is something that currently happens with food.
12:45There is food diplomacy.
12:47There is fertilizer diplomacy or warfare.
12:51You can call it as you want.
12:52But this is happening right now.
12:53And we need to step up.
12:54Should food security take priority
12:57over environmental targets
13:00when the two come into conflict?
13:02I think they can work hand in hand
13:04and they have to work hand in hand
13:06because otherwise, again,
13:07we would compromise the future of food security.
13:11So that is something we can,
13:13you cannot have one or the other.
13:14It's not black and white.
13:16It needs to go together.
13:17Now, it's not only the Iran war
13:20that is affecting EU farming,
13:22but also the war in Ukraine.
13:25Now, the EU has opened its market
13:26to Ukrainian agricultural products.
13:29Have some European farmers paid the price
13:32for European solidarity with Ukraine?
13:36The European farmers have shown
13:38a huge example of solidarity with Ukraine.
13:40I think that has to be said very clearly.
13:44And I'm very grateful for that.
13:45And we had indeed during
13:47the autonomous trade measures
13:48the first reaction,
13:49a liberalization of trade.
13:51There were, especially in some bordering countries,
13:54a huge impact on the farming sector.
13:56And I can really understand
13:57that this was an unsustainable situation for them.
14:01But meanwhile, we have updated
14:03the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement
14:06with a carefully balanced tariff rate quota.
14:10So we have controls about what
14:12and how much comes in.
14:13And as well, these concessions
14:15have been bound very clearly
14:16to meeting the standards
14:18of European production by 2028
14:21when it comes to the use of plant protection products,
14:24when it comes to animal welfare.
14:25And if the Ukrainian side
14:27will not be able to get there,
14:29then we have as well the possibility
14:31to interrupt this agreement.
14:33So I think we have now a stable situation
14:35that has been,
14:37that before this stable situation
14:39had been caused turbulences.
14:42But now, of course,
14:43what we absorb is absorbable as well.
14:46It's products that we need anyhow.
14:47What is important is that we help the Ukrainians
14:50as well to permanently get to
14:52their historic markets as well.
14:54This has been hugely interrupted.
14:56Yeah.
14:57So how do you balance supporting Ukraine
15:00with protecting EU farming interests
15:04in frontline states?
15:07I guess this is a challenge
15:09the more the war goes on.
15:11I've traveled as well
15:12to the first line countries,
15:17as you call them,
15:18the neighboring countries of Ukraine.
15:19And there is a lot of evidence
15:22that needs to be put in light as well.
15:24Because just because of the price
15:26of cereals is, for example, low
15:28does not mean it is low
15:29because there is more imports from Ukraine.
15:32Because as I said,
15:33this is now well calibrated.
15:35But again,
15:35we have a global,
15:37had a good harvest last year,
15:39for example.
15:39And this has led to a global price
15:41for wheat that was 170,
15:43180 US a ton.
15:45But this is not the fault of Ukraine.
15:47It's, of course,
15:48the result of a global good harvest.
15:51And I think there,
15:52we need as well
15:53to find other solutions
15:55for our farmers
15:55to bring up their added value.
15:58And I think we have a lot of to win
16:00when we speak, for example,
16:03about protein plants
16:04where we are currently
16:05not self-sufficient.
16:07And therefore,
16:08I don't see the interest
16:09of exporting raw grain
16:11without a lot of added value,
16:13while we can use these products
16:15even better and more efficient
16:17and better rewarding domestically.
16:20So I think that is something
16:21we will be looking as well
16:22in our protein action plan
16:25that we are working on.
16:26On another topic,
16:26the debate over the next EU
16:28long-term budget is ongoing.
16:31EU leaders aim to reach an agreement
16:33by the end of the year.
16:35And it is clear already
16:37that agriculture is going to represent
16:40a large chunk of that budget,
16:43roughly one third.
16:45So my question is,
16:46why should taxpayers continue spending
16:49billions of euro
16:50on agricultural subsidies?
16:52Well, if we get to one third
16:54of that budget,
16:54I would be very glad.
16:55So I hope you are right on that.
16:57But it will, of course,
16:58depend on the willingness
16:59of the member states
17:00to go into that direction.
17:02And it's not about speaking
17:03about this share,
17:04but of course,
17:05the EU budget on its own
17:07is not very big
17:09compared to other economies
17:12in the world.
17:13So I think there we have
17:15to be very clear
17:16that it's not about shares,
17:18but eventually that we are
17:19don't contributing sufficiently
17:20to a new EU budget.
17:21I think for this global crisis
17:23that we are facing,
17:24it's not less Europe
17:25or to be frugal
17:28that will solve the problem.
17:29I think we have to step up
17:30our efforts to be bolder.
17:32And I think that is something
17:34we that's a first remark
17:36I would make.
17:37The second one,
17:37of course,
17:38as I said earlier,
17:39we impose high standards,
17:42higher standards,
17:43the highest standards
17:43in the world
17:44to our farming
17:45and food producing community.
17:47This comes with a price.
17:48I think we have to be very clear
17:50and this price needs as well
17:52then to be compensated
17:53if the markets don't do
17:54because as I said earlier,
17:56a farmer,
17:56when they have to switch
17:58from one technology
17:59to another,
18:00for example,
18:01or reduce their emissions,
18:02they cannot hand over
18:04the price so easily
18:05because they are competing.
18:06We are not living on an island,
18:07fortunately,
18:08I would say.
18:09And that is why
18:10this high standards
18:12come at a cost.
18:13This food sovereignty
18:14comes at a cost.
18:15The preservation
18:16of our cultural landscapes
18:18comes at a cost
18:19and that is not just
18:21for the benefit
18:21of the farmer
18:22because the farmers
18:23are not rich men
18:24and women
18:25because when we see
18:26their salary,
18:28it's around 65%
18:29of the EU average salary
18:31so they are well below
18:32and that is why
18:33it is so important
18:34to support the community
18:35in order to continue
18:36to produce
18:37and not be dependent
18:38on Russia
18:39or China
18:40or who else
18:41when it comes
18:41to food production.
18:43One quick one.
18:44What is your biggest concern
18:46for European farming
18:47for the next decade?
18:49Is it climate change?
18:51Is it global competition?
18:53Or is it demographics?
18:55I would say
18:56it's demographics
18:58because this has
18:59a huge impact,
19:00of course.
19:01It's as well,
19:04of course,
19:05the others
19:06are not negligible
19:07so it's difficult
19:08to choose climate change.
19:10We need to adapt to it
19:11and I think,
19:12again,
19:12we need as well
19:13to invest
19:13into this adaption
19:15and I think,
19:16for example,
19:17as well,
19:17when you speak
19:18about the future
19:20multi-annual financial framework,
19:21the future budget,
19:22there is as well
19:23a competitiveness fund
19:24in it.
19:24I think in some regions,
19:25for example,
19:26without investment
19:27into water infrastructure,
19:29there will be
19:30no production,
19:30not agriculture
19:31and not tourism economy
19:34and I think there
19:35we need really
19:36to stop a little bit
19:38just looking
19:39at the short term
19:39and having as well
19:40more long-term perspectives.
19:42That makes us
19:43quite weak
19:44if we don't have
19:45the long-term perspectives
19:46but probably
19:46this is as well
19:47linked to the
19:48political cycles.
19:49All right.
19:50Christoph Hansen,
19:51EU Agriculture Commissioner,
19:52thank you so much
19:53for coming on the show today.
19:54Thank you as well.
19:56Thank you.
19:57Thank you.
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