“We have prepared a proposal to increase tariffs on Russian and Belarusian imports of cereals, oilseeds and derived products”, declared the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the end of the first working session of the European Council on Thursday 21 March.
According to the President, the aim of the proposal is to prevent Russian cereals from destabilising the European market and to prevent Russia from using the revenue generated by the export of these products to the EU. It is also to ensure that illegal Russian exports stolen from the Ukrainians are not sold on the EU market.
On 15 March, Ms von der Leyen said that the Commission was “assessing the possibility of introducing restrictions on imports of agricultural products from Russia to the EU”, following a meeting with the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk (see EUROPE 13372/13).
On Thursday, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, deemed it unfair that the EU should continue to import Russian cereals “without restrictions” while deciding to cap its purchases of certain Ukrainian agricultural products, at the risk, in his view, of weakening Kyiv’s position vis-à-vis Moscow. “We note that, unfortunately, Russia’s access to the European agricultural market remains unlimited”, he deplored.
In its various packages of sanctions against Moscow, the EU has been careful not to target Russia’s agricultural sector or fertilisers, for fear of destabilising world trade in cereals and undermining food security in Asia and Africa.
On Friday 22 March, the European Council will be discussing EU agriculture and EU/Ukraine trade measures. “We have to see if we can take on board some of the concerns of Poland, Hungary and France”, summarised the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte. “I am satisfied with the agreement, which is not the case for some of my colleagues”, he said. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur, with the editorial staff)