The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) has called for increased economic pressure on Russia as well as secondary sanctions on companies supporting its war efforts in a new report, released February 11, timed with the Munich Security Conference kickoff. Statista reports.

The public policy institution states that the former US administration’s foreign policy had been too cautious, resulting in a “war of attrition that neither side can win.”

Despite heavy sanctions on gas and oil, the EU has continued to buy commodities such as fertilizer from Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Data from Eurostat shows that some 3.9mn tonnes of Russian fertilizers were imported to the EU in 2023 and 3.7mn tonnes were imported in the first nine months of 2024. In July 2024, 574,000 tonnes of fertilizers were imported to the EU, up 50% from July 2021, the summer before the war.

Last month, the European Commission finally proposed raising tariffs on fertilizers from the current 6.5% in proportion to the value to 100% in three years. If implemented, this means Russian fertilizers will likely continue to be imported until 2026. The proposed tariffs would bring a tonne of nitrogenous fertilizers to the sum of €315 and other fertilizers up to €430 per tonne. The measure is intended to support domestic production, allow for diversification of supply and cut off a financial flow to Russia’s economy. Until now, the EU has been resistant to placing sanctions on agricultural products from Russia due to global food security concerns.

While the proposal includes protective measures, European farmers warn of the risks associated with increased production costs as well as concerns over whether domestic production will be able to meet demand in time.

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