Commission allocates €540 million in support to farmers facing the fertiliser and energy crisis arising from the Middle East crisis

Today, Member States endorsed the European Commission's proposal to mobilise €540 million in financial relief for farmers affected by the Middle East crisis. Member States shall use the allocated amounts to compensate the most affected farmers for their economic losses linked to higher on-farm fertiliser and energy costs, with a focus on the sectors and products most impacted.

The corresponding national envelopes are set out below:

Support should be granted on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory criteria and should not result in market or competition distortions or in overcompensation.

Member States may complement this EU support up to 200% with national funds. To ensure the effectiveness of this emergency measure, farmers should receive the financial support as quickly as possible. Member States should therefore distribute the aid by 28 February 2027.

Member States should take into account the support granted under the Middle East crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF), under other national or Union support instruments or under private schemes to respond to the economic losses concerned.

EU farmers are facing severe liquidity challenges as a result of the Middle East crisis, in particular due to its impact on agricultural input costs, notably fertilisers and energy.

There is an urgent need to stabilise the situation in the EU by addressing the liquidity shortages faced by farmers as a result of these very high input costs. In the near future, European farmers will have to make difficult decisions on the next sowing season for the 2027 harvest in a challenging economic environment. To support them, it is necessary to provide targeted exceptional support to the farmers most affected through the agricultural reserve. This will provide immediate liquidity relief for farmers ahead of the next production cycle and help sustain agricultural production.

The emergency package aims to provide targeted exceptional support to the EU farmers most affected by the impact of the Middle East crisis on energy and fertiliser prices. This initiative is one of the immediate actions set out in the Fertilisers Action Plan adopted by the Commission on 19 May 2026.