What was “unacceptable” less than a year ago, the imposition of measures against the import of Ukrainian products, has become a necessary measure for the European Commission. The College of European Commissioners has proposed today to extend for another year the trade advantages adopted in favor of Ukraine and Moldova as a result of the Russian invasion, which leave the tariffs and quotas in force for their agricultural products suspended, but for the first time it accepts the introduction of safeguards to protect European farmers, who could also be freed from the obligation to put part of their land fallow this year.
"Special trade measures offer concrete benefits for many Ukrainian export sectors, support employment and economic resilience and provide much-needed income and foreign exchange" to confront Russian aggression, argued European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas. at a press conference. The safeguards incorporated into the new proposal respond to "justified and documented concerns" about the "local" effects of this policy, especially when imports remain in the markets of bordering countries, to the east of Europe, instead of circulating to third markets, justified Schinas, who has reiterated the EC's opposition to the national restrictions unilaterally introduced by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, among others.
The new proposal, which must be approved by the Agriculture Ministers of the Twenty-seven, would apply from June 2024 for a period of one year. Specifically, Brussels proposes that measures can be adopted in the event that adverse effects are detected in a single country, even if they do not affect the entire community market. And for certain "sensitive products", such as eggs, sugar or chicken, it plans to adopt an automatic emergency brake that will prevent the level of imports from being higher than the average recorded in the years 2022 and 2023. In that case, reimpose tariffs on these products, so that the problems registered in some markets at the end of last year are not repeated.
"European farmers have faced increasing pressures from all fronts in recent months and years. Climate change and the loss of biodiversity, combined with rising energy prices and the geopolitical storm, which has increased agricultural prices. production and reduced their income," acknowledged the Vice President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, who has announced a new relief measure for the sector: the repeal of the obligation to leave part of the cropland fallow to help farmers. producers to compensate for the loss of income recorded globally in 2023, when the value of European cereal production fell from 80,000 to less than 60,000 million euros. These derogations were already in force in 2022 and 2023 to compensate for the reduction in global production caused by the war in Ukraine and have allowed European farmers to continue receiving payments from the Common Agricultural Policy although, with conditions, they continue to cultivate the land .
"The ball is now in the court of the member states, who are the ones who have to decide on the approval of the proposal, which would apply retroactively, from January" and demonstrates that "the future of agriculture and the income of "Farmers are at the top of the European political agenda," stressed Šefčovič, while tractors from several European countries take positions around Brussels to convey their discontent to the heart of the Union ahead of the summit that the leaders will hold tomorrow. of the Twenty-seven. Although the reasons for the protests vary between different countries, the sector has often directed its fury against Brussels. "We have the utmost respect for anyone who defends their arguments on community policies but let us remember that half of the EU budget goes to agriculture. Farmers know this, as they also know that they have no better ally to preserve their income than the European Commission "Schinas recalled.
