On Friday 14 March, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) reached agreement by qualified majority on the EU Council’s position on the regulation imposing higher customs duties on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products and fertilisers (see EUROPE 13599/5).
The EU Council’s position (https://aeur.eu/f/fyc ) in no way alters the European Commission’s proposal (https://aeur.eu/f/fyr ). Once the European Parliament has adopted its position, inter-institutional negotiations can take place (see EUROPE 13583/3). Finally, the EU Council will have to adopt the compromise text by qualified majority.
“We will carefully monitor the implementation of these tariffs to ensure that the European fertiliser industry and farmers are protected, while reducing the EU’s dependencies, preserving global food security and further weakening Russia’s war economy,” commented Krzysztof Paszyk, Poland’s Development Minister.
In the case of fertilisers, in addition to the existing 6.5% ad valorem duty, customs duties would be increased, according to the proposal, by an additional duty which would gradually rise from 40 or 45 euros per tonne, depending on the type of fertiliser (13% ad valorem equivalent), to the prohibitive level of €315 or €430 per tonne respectively, three years after the start of application of the proposed regulation (100% ad valorem equivalent).
EU import duties on all agricultural products concerned from Russia and Belarus would be increased by a 50% ad valorem duty. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)