Farmers from Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania held a demonstration in Brussels, on Tuesday 23 May, to demand measures to counteract the negative effects of increased imports of Ukrainian agricultural products into these countries, which are destabilising the market.
Representatives of chambers and agricultural organisations from these five countries sent a letter to the European Commission listing a series of additional measures to be taken by the EU. “Farmers in our countries are currently facing a rapid decline in prices and a lack of demand for cereals and oilseeds due to an excess of supply over demand”, the letter says. Stocks are at 150% of the typical level for this time of year (see EUROPE 13181/2).
Farmers are calling for the reinstatement of customs duties and quotas on Ukrainian agricultural products imported into the ‘frontline’ countries, or an extension until at least 14 June 2024 of the temporary precautionary measures affecting imports from Ukraine (so that the remaining storage capacity in the countries concerned can be used to store EU cereals after the new harvest and to avoid “new dumping” from Ukraine).
Link to the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/70f (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)