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European Commission - Daily News Daily News 24 / 02 / 2026 Brussels, 24 February 2026 Commission acts to safeguard availability and affordability of fertilisers Delivering on its commitment made at the ministerial meeting of 7 January , the European Commission has proposed to suspend, for one year, the most favoured nation (MFN) duties on imports of several key nitrogen fertilisers and inputs for their production (am...
European Commission - Daily News Daily News 24 / 02 / 2026 Brussels, 24 February 2026 Commission acts to safeguard availability and affordability of fertilisers Delivering on its commitment made at the ministerial meeting of 7 January , the European Commission has proposed to suspend, for one year, the most favoured nation (MFN) duties on imports of several key nitrogen fertilisers and inputs for their production (ammonia, urea). The tariff suspension will be implemented for all countries, except Russia and Belarus, through duty-free tariff rate quotas. The measure will strengthen the EU's agri-food sector, lowering costs for farmers and the fertilisers industry by saving an estimated €60 million in import duties. It will also facilitate the reduction of the EU's dependency on Russia and Belarus and support diversification of supply, where imports are still needed for the EU agricultural sector and the fertiliser industry. This will help ensure the EU's food security and sovereignty in an increasingly unstable and uncertain world. By eliminating MFN tariffs and by opening new opportunities via trade agreements, the Commission's main aim is to support competitive, EU agri-food and fertilisers sectors, while searching for new and reliable suppliers. The proposed measure is carefully calibrated to the needs of the EU market, through the establishment of a quota system. Imports beyond these quotas will be subject to standard MFN duties. This initiative delivers on the Commission's commitment to address rising costs faced by EU farmers, and is an important component of the Commission's work to address the high cost of fertilisers to EU farmers. It also aligns with broader efforts to secure EU food sovereignty and economic security in an uncertain global landscape. In December 2025, the Commission already proposed EU-level action focused on fertilisers. An exception to the standard calculation rules was proposed, to reduce the impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on fertilisers, making them the only commodity to benefit from such an exception (use of a 1% markup instead of 10 % with a progressive increase to 30 % for all other sectors). In the context of CBAM implementation, the Commission continues to closely monitor the market. (For more information: Olof Gill – Tel.: +32 2 296 59 66; Marta Perez-Cejuela Romero - Tel.: +32 2 296 37 70) Commission approves €400 million Greek State aid scheme to support cleantech manufacturing capacity, contributing to Clean Industrial Deal objectives The European Commission has approved a €400 million Greek State aid scheme to support strategic investments that add clean technology (cleantech) manufacturing capacity in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal . This measure will contribute to the transition towards a net-zero economy. The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025 . The purpose of the scheme is to grant aid for investments that add manufacturing capacity for the production, including with secondary raw materials, of net-zero technologies and their main specific components listed in Annex II of the CISAF , as well as the production of new or recovered related critical raw materials necessary for the production of the final products or main specific components. The aid will take the form of direct grants and tax advantages . The measure will be open to companies in the whole territory of Greece. The aid may be granted until 31 December 2030. The Commission concluded that the Greek scheme is necessary , appropriate and proportionate to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero economy and facilitate the development of certain economic activities, which are of importance for the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal . Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera , in charge of competition policy, said: “ This scheme will ensure additional clean technology manufacturing capacity in Greece. The Greek state can provide €400 million in support for key investments in the sector, using a range of different measures. This new manufacturing potential will contribute to reaching the goals of the Clean Industrial Deal, while ensuring that potential competition distortions are kept to a minimum .” A press release is available online (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774) Commission clears acquisition of Factor Energia by Marubeni The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Factor Energia S.A. of Spain by Marubeni Corporation (‘Marubeni') of Japan. The transaction relates primarily to the distribution and retail supply of gas in Portugal. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given its limited impact on competition in the markets where the companies are active. In particular, the Commission found that the merged entity would not have the ability or incentive to engage in any foreclosure strategy. The notified transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12202 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) Commission clears creation of joint venture by Equitix and KKR The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by Equitix Holdings Limited (‘Equitix') of the UK and KKR & Co. Inc. (‘KKR') of the US. The transaction relates primarily to the markets of resource recovery, waste management and plastic recycling. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that the companies are not active in the same or vertically related markets. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12328 . (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Paula Clara Ritter-Moschütz – Tel.: +32 2 296 40 83) ANNOUNCEMENTS Commissioners Várhelyi and Hansen participate in the Salon International de l'Agriculture in Paris This week, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi and Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen visit the Salon International de l'Agriculture , which this year focuses on the theme ‘Generations Solutions.' These visits reflect the European Commission's ongoing engagement with Member States and agricultural partners to ensure a sustainable, competitive, high quality and fair European agri-food sector, while addressing the concerns of farmers and rural communities in the face of global challenges. Commissioner Várhelyi will attend the fair today. He will engage with French horizontal and sectoral agricultural organisations, to discuss critical issues such as combatting animal diseases, use of plant protection products, maintaining food safety standards and European competitiveness. He will also bilaterally meet with the French Minister for Agriculture, Annie Genevard, to discuss shared priorities. Commissioner Hansen will visit the Salon tomorrow. He will meet with a broad range of stakeholders - from young farmers and cereal producers to winegrowers and livestock associations. They will discuss the Commission's proposals for the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the challenges facing key sectors such as viticulture and beef production. During his visit, Commissioner Hansen will also meet Minister Genevard to take stock of all actions undertaken since the presentation of the Commission's Vision for Agriculture and Food and to hear details of France's priorities for the agriculture sector and the CAP. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Kateřina Horáková - Tel.: +32 2 299 93 10) Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings Note that these items can be subject to changes. Upcoming events of the European Commission Eurostat press releases Calendar items of the President and Commissioners Individual calendars of the President and Commissioners MEX/26/462
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