The European Commission has adopted a proposal to impose tariffs on a number of agricultural products and certain nitrogen-based fertilisers from Russia and Belarus.

The agricultural products affected by the new tariffs constitute 15% of agricultural imports from Russia in 2023 that had not yet been subject to increased tariffs.

Once adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council, all agricultural imports from Russia would be the subject of EU tariffs.

The aim of the proposal is to reduce dependencies on imports from Russia and Belarus. Such imports, particularly of fertilisers, make the EU vulnerable to potential coercive actions by Russia and thus present a risk to EU food security, the Commission said.

In 2023, the types of fertilisers covered by the proposed regulation represented over 70% of overall fertiliser consumption in the EU. Eurostat data shows that fertiliser imports from Russia totalled 3.6m tonnes, worth €1.2bn, in 2023 – 25% of the EU’s total imports (tonnage).

“In the same vein, the tariffs will support the growth of domestic production and the EU's fertiliser industry, which has suffered during the energy crisis. It will also allow for the diversification of supply from third countries.

“This will help ensure a steady fertiliser supply and, most importantly, ensure that fertilisers remain available for EU farmers at an affordable price. The proposal includes mitigating measures, should EU farmers see a substantial increase in fertiliser prices,” it added.

War of aggression

The tariffs are expected to negatively impact Russian export revenues, thus “impacting Russia's ability to wage its war of aggression against Ukraine”, the Commission said.

The transit of all agricultural products and fertilisers from Russia and Belarus to third countries remains unaffected by these measures, in line with the EU's commitment to promoting food security globally, in particular for developing countries.

This means that the buying and selling operations of Russian agricultural products remain unchanged, as does their storage in EU customs warehouses, transportation on EU vessels or the provision of insurance and financing services.

The Commission's proposal will now be considered by the Parliament and the Council under qualified majority voting.