Benoît Cassart warns of the possible consequences of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as it currently applies to imported fertilisers.
The MEP, himself a farmer, does not question the principle of the CBAM, which he regards as an essential tool in the fight against environmental and social dumping. However, he is sounding the alarm over the hasty inclusion of fertilisers in the scheme, with no transition period or credible alternative for European producers.
“With this proposal, the European Commission will trigger a surge in fertiliser prices, driving up production costs for European farmers, while at the same time opening our market to low-cost products from Mercosur, Ukraine, Thailand and elsewhere. I call that intellectual inconsistency,” Benoît Cassart protests.
“This irresponsible choice comes at the worst possible moment,” he continues.
“Cutting the CAP budget, increasing production costs, continuing to demand some of the strictest environmental standards in the world, while opening our markets to low-cost products that respect neither our social nor our environmental standards, that simply condemns our agriculture.”
The farming sector has expressed deep concern over the Commission's decision. Farmers find themselves caught in a vice: on one side, sharply rising production costs due to regulatory and energy pressures; on the other, increasing competition from cheap imported products.
“Europe is shooting itself in the foot. We are weakening our own farmers when we should instead be encouraging generational renewal, strengthening our food sovereignty and supporting the ecological transition through realistic and coherent measures,” concludes Benoît Cassart.
Benoît Cassart calls on the European Commission and the Member States to urgently review the CBAM's application arrangements for fertilisers, protect European agricultural production and its quality standards, and guarantee genuine trade fairness in international agreements.