On Tuesday 30 May in Brussels, the Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture, Mykola Solsky, criticised European restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports.
The EU’s safeguard measures (a ban on imports of grain from Ukraine to Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria) expire on 5 June. Mykola Solsky, who took part in a working lunch with his EU counterparts, told the press that he wanted to do everything possible to avoid extending these restrictions after 5 June. These bans apply to sunflower, rapeseed, maize and wheat.
On 10 May, the agriculture ministers of 13 European Union countries criticised the agreement with Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia to address the negative effects of the influx of Ukrainian grain into the EU (see EUROPE 13181/2).
At the ‘Agriculture’ Council, several countries again criticised the restrictions. Marc Fesneau, the French minister, called for “collective and not individual” responses, otherwise it would “open the door to something that would be bad for European integration and for solidarity with Ukraine”.
The Spanish minister, Luis Planas, pointed out that the Commission had proposed the mobilisation of €100 million (from the crisis reserve) for the five EU countries close to Ukraine, but the green light had not yet been given, “because one of these countries, Hungary, has not yet lifted the unilateral restrictions” (a ban on Ukrainian agricultural products). The Commission has already made an initial payment of €56.3 million to Romania, Hungary and Poland (see EUROPE 13165/1).
“We respect all Commission decisions that improve the current situation, including for farmers in these countries” (EU countries bordering Ukraine), added Mykola Solsky.
In Spain’s view, the safeguard measures should not be extended without justification from the Commission.
The Finnish minister, Antti Kurvinen, also said he was “opposed” to unilateral restrictions, and called for joint European solutions.
During the ‘Agriculture’ Council debate, the Member States stressed in particular:
- the need to take long-term measures to resolve the problems affecting the market;
- the need to ensure the stability of the internal market;
- the difficulties encountered by specific sectors due to the effects of the war in Ukraine (wine, poultry, livestock, sugar, dairy products and fruit);
- the importance of transparent decisions, based on rules and data, regarding the allocation of funds from the (agricultural) crisis reserve;
- the need to take account of the situation in each Member State and to adopt a flexible approach to support.
A third package. Janusz Wojciechowski, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, told ministers that the Commission was ready to provide a third package of measures from the (agricultural) crisis reserve to support EU countries affected by the drought (see other news) and European countries where certain sectors are suffering from the effects of the war in Ukraine (wine, milk, etc.). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)