Another milestone deserved to be mentioned in the history of CIEC was the 50th anniversary of the CIEC's foundation organized in Budapest, in 1984 as the 9th World Fertilizer Congress. Scientists from 35 countries contributed with new results and ideas to the Congress subject "The Conquest of Hunger through the Better Provision of the Nutrient Needs of Plants". Welcoming speeches of representatives of FAO, UNEP and the International Soil Science Society underlined the highly-‐qualified presentations of this successful CIEC Congress and the fact that during its 50 years existence, CIEC has not ceased to work in order to increase yield and improve crop quality, through the rational use of fertilizers.With increasing industrialization in Europe a severe problem came up, namely the pollution of waters and water resources, in which the attained high level of fertilizers use, especially commercial nitrogen fertilizers, was mainly incriminated.
Later on, after intensive studies of this phenomenon, additional pollutants of industrial and urban origin were recognized to be a decisive cause for the pollution of waters, as well as the atmosphere and soil.
As an unavoidable consequence of this development and because of other problems lying in the economic structure of the international trade, the fertilizer industries in Europe declined and with them the activities of CIEC, as these were dependent on the contributions of its members.