The intervention by the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, in the escalating fertiliser dispute has been welcomed by the president of a farm lobby group.
President of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Joe Healy outlined that the fiasco “has seen the recent imposition of temporary anti-dumping duties on certain non-EU urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertiliser imports by the directorate-general for trade”.
Continuing, Healy said: “Commissioner Hogan’s request of Competition Commissioner [Margrethe] Vestager to take swift action to ensure the proper functioning of the EU’s internal fertiliser market, in light of questionable business practices with respect to competition rules, represents a key turning point in this case.
Anti-dumping duties and customs tariffs imposed by the EU Commission on certain non-EU fertiliser imports were costing farmers €1 billion per annum.
“Commissioner Hogan’s assessment of the malfunctioning of the EU’s fertiliser market mirrors many of the conclusions raised in the IFA-commissioned study into the sector, carried out by the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
“Indeed, he rightly points to the need for price transparency and the operation of fair pricing mechanisms to create a properly functioning market.”
Concluding, Healy said: “[Trade Commissioner] Cecilia Malmström and [Commissioner] Vestager must pay heed to [Commissioner] Hogan’s request as it is in the EU’s interest to ensure that we maintain the competitiveness of the EU’s farming sector and support family farm incomes.”