2023-04-29 00:17:22
Published on :
The governments of the Twenty-Seven gave this Friday, April 28 their agreement to renew for one year the suspension of all customs duties on Ukrainian products imported into the EU.
In May 2022, three months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Europeans decided to suspend all customs duties on Ukrainian imports into the EU for one year in order to support the country’s economic activity. The decision to extend this exemption was adopted this Friday, April 28. unanimously by EU member states’ ambassadors in Brussels. MEPs still have to give their approval in plenary session to allow the entry into force of this provision, a European source said.
But this agreement is blurred by Poland’s recent decision to ban imports of Ukrainian cereals, accused of destabilizing the national agricultural market. Several other EU countries bordering Ukraine – Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria – have followed suit, imposing temporary bans on cereals and other agricultural products imported from Ukraine.
This position is considered “ unacceptable by the European Commission, responsible for the bloc’s trade policy. ” Contacts continue on this subject, assured the Commission on Friday. “ Case to follow “Laconically declared the spokesperson for the European executive.
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In addition to the suspension of customs duties, the EU had organized itself to allow Kiev to export its grain stocks after the closure of the maritime routes by the Black Sea caused by the Russian invasion in February 2022. But instead of simple transit, neighboring European states have seen maize, wheat or sunflower from Ukraine pile up on their soil due to logistical problems, causing silos to become saturated and local prices to plummet, leading to protests of farmers and the resignation of the Polish Minister of Agriculture.
On April 19, the European Commission promised additional aid of 100 million euros to support farmers in Eastern Europe most affected by the fall in cereal prices in connection with the war in Ukraine. This amount supplements a first envelope of 56.3 million euros granted at the end of March, funds drawn from the crisis reserve of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
(With AFP)
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