EU Phosphorus Index: Russia’s share of EU phosphate import spending rises

European companies imported phosphate rock worth over 100 million euros from Russia in the first half of 2026, according to an analysis of European Commission data by Swedish environmental company Ragn-Sells. Russia remained the EU’s largest supplier by value, accounting for more than one third of the bloc’s phosphate import spending.

Imports from Russia totalled around 436,000 tonnes in the first six months of 2026. Despite a slight decline in import volumes, the value of those imports increased from 101 million euro to 105 million, raising Russia’s share of the EU’s phosphate import spending from 32 per cent to 34 per cent. Morocco remained the EU’s second largest supplier. 

“Secure access to phosphorus is essential for food security. Europe has made reducing strategic dependencies a priority, yet a third of its spending on imported phosphate rock still goes to Russia,” says Pär Larshans, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Ragn-Sells Group.  

The figures come amid renewed concerns about global supply chains of fertilisers and other critical raw materials. The European Commission’s new Fertiliser Action Plan recently highlighted nutrient recycling as a tool for strengthening food security and improving resource resilience. 

“Recent disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz show how quickly global supply chains can grind to a halt. For a nutrient as essential to our food supply as phosphorus, Europe cannot afford to rely entirely on imports when it already has the resources and technology to produce more at home,” says Pär Larshans. 
 
Phosphorus is a key component in both mineral fertilisers and animal feed and is listed by the European Union as a Critical Raw Material. Almost all phosphorus used in European agriculture is imported, as the EU’s only phosphate mine, located in Finland, supplies less than 10 percent of agricultural demand. 

Modern technologies, such as Ash2Phos from Ragn-Sells subsidiary EasyMining, can recover high-purity phosphorus from sewage sludge ash. However, recycled phosphorus remains prohibited in animal feed under current EU legislation regardless of product quality. Sweden has urged the Commission to request a new risk assessment from European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as a step towards revising the feed legislation. 
 
“Europe does not lack phosphorus – it lacks access to its own resources. By simply updating an annex in the feed legislation, the EU could unlock significant investment, strengthen its competitiveness and reduce dependency on Russia,” says Jan Svärd, CEO of EasyMining. 
 
For further comment or interviews, please contact:  
Pär Larshans, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ragn-Sells Group, +46 70 927 29 63,  par.larshans@ragnsells.com  
Jan Svärd, CEO, EasyMining, +46 70 978 64 74, jan.svard@easymining.com 
Debby Porter Laffitte, Press Officer, Ragn-Sells Group, +46 10 723 24 00, press@ragnsells.com  
 
Fact Box: Top EU phosphate rock suppliers, Jan–Jun 2026 
1. Russia: 105 million euro (34%) 
2. Morocco: 98 million euro (32%) 
3. Egypt: 24 million euro (8%) 

Source: European Commission (DG AGRI). Data retrieved 15 July 2026. 
 
Fact Box: What is Phosphorus? 
Phosphorus is essential for all life and plays a key role in plant growth, making it vital for both mineral fertilisers and animal feed.  

EasyMining’s Ash2Phos technology recovers more than 90 percent of the phosphorus from sewage sludge ash, enabling Europe to replace imported phosphorus with locally produced recycled material. 

The first Ash2Phos plant is now being built in Schkopau, Germany. The product is a calcium phosphate marketed as RevoCaP. 

Recycled calcium phosphate has been approved for use in organic farming in the EU but remains banned in animal feed, under outdated rules introduced during the BSE crisis. Sweden has called on the EU to revise this ban. 

Source: Ragn-Sells 
 
Further reading: https://www.ragnsells.com/circular-transition/think-circular/foodsecurity/