On Tuesday 25 April in Luxembourg, the EU agriculture ministers will discuss the sensitive issue of the import bans imposed by Poland and Hungary on Ukrainian food products, according to a Swedish Presidency of the EU Council communication on Monday 17 April.
The subject was discussed on Monday 17 April in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA).
Soon Slovakia? Hungary and Poland highlighted their solidarity with Ukraine and insisted that the import bans were temporary and necessary to address the impact on their farmers of Ukrainian exports which are facilitated by the ‘solidarity lanes’, set up by the EU in response to Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
Some of the other EU countries bordering Ukraine, such as Slovakia, have indicated their willingness to introduce a similar temporary ban. Other countries, such as Romania and Bulgaria, have indicated that they are considering such measures.
Other EU Member States, for example Spain, Croatia, Finland or Lithuania, have taken the floor in the SCA to express their concerns about the implications of such unilateral actions.
The European Commission reportedly outlined at the SCA the measures already taken, including investment in infrastructure to improve the functioning of the solidarity lanes in the countries neighbouring Ukraine. The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU announced that the topic would be added to the agenda of the Agriculture Council on Tuesday 25 April in Luxembourg.
On 20 March, the Commission mobilised €56.3 million (EU agricultural crisis reserve) to support destabilised farmers in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.
But at the end of March, five countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria) called for additional aid to support agricultural producers who had suffered losses (see EUROPE 13155/8).
“We are considering a second (aid) package. This is under discussion” the Commission said on Monday, adding that it was taking into account the impact (...) on front-line EU countries. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)