Overview
- The European Commission proposed lowering tariffs on certain fertilizers and fast-tracking a law to allow temporary suspension of the CO2 border charge for agriculture.
- EU countries are slated to vote Friday, with approval requiring at least 15 states representing 65% of the bloc’s population and subsequent European Parliament consent.
- Italy signaled support after the new measures, while France, Poland, Hungary and Ireland declared opposition that falls short of a blocking minority.
- Farmers mounted tractor blockades at dozens of German autobahn onramps and staged actions in Paris, where officials counted about 100 tractors and reported roughly 150 kilometers of jams.
- Negotiators continue to refine safeguard clauses for agricultural imports, with Rome pressing to lower the trigger for investigations from 8% to 5%.