BRUSSELS, April 22 (Reuters) - The European Commission will present a fertiliser action plan on May 19, the Commission's agenda of policy announcements showed on Wednesday, to accelerate decarbonisation and address affordability issues made more urgent by the knock-on effects of the Iran war on an already tight market.
A Commission spokesperson said the plan aims to address structural vulnerabilities and market imbalances, boost domestic production of fertiliser and diversify supply chains, supported by regulatory adjustments if needed.
The Commission on Wednesday also announced measures to mitigate the impact of the Iran war on the European Union's energy markets.
Global fertiliser prices have jumped following the near total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping route along Iran's coast through which around one-third of global fertiliser trade passes.
While the EU does not depend on the nitrogen-based fertilisers, namely urea, produced in the Middle East, prices for all types of fertilisers have risen as countries race to source alternatives.
As of April 7, western European urea prices had risen 55% from pre-war levels, according to consultancy Expana.
EU farmers are not currently facing a fertiliser shortage and have not yet been affected by the higher prices as they had largely fulfilled their 2026 planting season needs before the war began in late February.
The Commission's plan will also include long-term measures to strengthen the EU's autonomy and accelerate the transition towards decarbonised, low-fossil and circular fertilisers, the spokesperson added.
(Reporting by Alexander Chituc, additional reporting by May Angel in London, editing by Julia Payne and)
By Alexander Chituc
