The EU Communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers—a milestone for sustainable nutrient management or a missed opportunity?

The global mineral fertiliser crisis increased the pressure on the EU agricultural sector. In response, the EU Commission released a Communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers in November 2022. This Policy Brief discusses the Fertiliser Communication and critically questions whether (1) the proposed measures can contribute to combat the fertiliser crisis, and (2) whether they can make the EU agricultural sector more resilient and sustainable to comply with the Paris Agreement and the Aichi Targets to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Results show that the Fertiliser Communication falls short on both challenges. It relies on existing, insufficient policies and public support measures and fails to propose innovative and effective solutions. Moreover, existing fertiliser and fossil fuel import dependencies are maintained and shifted. To overcome these shortcomings and to comply with legally binding climate and biodiversity goals, a comprehensive governance approach for nutrient management and sustainable agriculture by economic instruments that apply to livestock husbandry and fossil fuels is introduced.