Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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183. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals he has put forward to the European Commission and-or at the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers in relation to the need to introduce a comprehensive programme to reduce fertiliser costs throughout the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3609/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The matter of reducing fertiliser costs throughout the EU gained traction in early 2016 due to the ongoing market difficulties being experienced by farmers across the dairy, pigmeat and fruit and vegetable sectors.

Statistical analysis has shown that fertiliser is a significant expenditure item on EU farms, accounting for €19.2 billion in 2014 (EUROSTAT), while the imposition of anti-dumping duties and customs tariffs on fertilisers is costing farmers up to €1 billion per annum (International Food and Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)).

I have long believed that the elimination of fertiliser tariffs and anti-dumping duties is something that could help farmers reduce their input costs and in this context I asked the Commission to consider a temporary suspension of customs tariffs and anti-dumping duties on fertilisers in the lead up to the Council of Agriculture Ministers in March last year.

This is something that I actively pursued at Council throughout 2016, both with the Commission and in consultation with my Council colleagues, and in fact raised again at Council of Agriculture Ministers earlier this week when I asked the Commission to address the significant overpricing of fertilisers in the EU brought about by the imposition of anti-dumping duties on imports. Commissioner Hogan acknowledged the desirability of bringing about lower prices, but indicated that, despite considerable efforts on his part both with other Member States and internally within the Commission, this is proving very difficult to achieve.