As we anticipated (see EUROPE 12441/6), at the initiative of Irène Tolleret (Renew Europe, France) and Juan Ignacio Zoido (EPP, Spain), 75 MEPs called on 12 March for the establishment of a compensation fund and exceptional measures to support all agricultural sectors affected by the increase in US customs duties (+25%), in retaliation for European subsidies to Airbus.
In addition, the signatories of a letter sent to the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, call on the Commission to find a solution to completely exclude the agri-food sector from the trade dispute.
While welcoming the additional flexibility measures for wine promotion programmes adopted on 18 February, they regret that the Commission “thus only partially takes into account the requests of the European Parliament [contained] in a resolution of 28 November 2019”.
For the time being, the Commission wishes to wait for the publication of an impact study before supporting, if necessary, the agricultural sectors targeted by the US sanctions. April will also be decisive in this respect, as the WTO is expected to authorise the EU, in a 'mirror' procedure, to also impose additional tariffs on the US for the support granted to Boeing. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)