Transport of agricultural products from Ukraine: More EU action is needed

• • Little Ukrainian wheat crosses the Polish border  
  • Prices of transport are high, infrastructure and assurances are missing 
  • More support from the Commission is needed to address the deficiencies To facilitate exports from Ukraine more financing, infrastructure and cooperation are key, says Agricultural Committee Chair Norbert Lins after visiting the Polish-Ukrainian border.

As a follow-up of the Agriculture Committee fact-finding mission to the Polish Ukrainian border that took place on 20-21 June, the Chair of the EP’s Agriculture Committee Norbert Lins (EPP, DE) addressed a letter today to Executive Vice-President of the Commission Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioners for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, and for Transport Adina Vălean. Mr Lins, supported by all political groups in the Committee, call for more action from the Commission to facilitate exports from Ukraine.

Transport and logistics costs in Ukraine are identified in the letter as one of the main reasons for the lack of wheat being transported from Ukraine to Poland. The Agriculture Committee Chair therefore proposes that the Commission grants “financial support and insurance guarantees for the leasing of locomotives, trucks and related logistical equipment and staff”. At the same time, the European Commission should “assess whether the EU or the World Food Programme could acquire Ukrainian wheat at fair price levels”.

In order to prevent resentment among Polish farmers whose cost prices for grain are higher than the ones for Ukrainian producers, the Commission and the Member States should “ensure that Ukrainian wheat only transits through the EU and is actually exported to its final destination in third countries – or, if need be, where necessary in the Union”, reads the letter.

The lack of infrastructure, especially the one needed for facilitating the change between Ukrainian and Polish trains operating on different rail gauge, was another problem identified during the mission. The Chair therefore stresses that transhipment facilities should be extended on both sides of the border and common border stations should speed up controls.

Lastly, the letter stresses the lack of knowledge of Solidarity Lanes proposed by the European Commission among local stakeholders. “More coordination between the Commission, the neighbouring Member States and all economic operators involved is needed”, reads the letter. A task force or a special envoy dedicated to dealing solely with Ukrainian grain exports and working in partnership with stakeholders on the ground should be created within the Commission, proposes Norbert Lins.

Background

A delegation from the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development travelled to the Polish-Ukrainian border to visit the Medyka (rail) and Korczowa (road) border crossings. The aim of the mission was to assess storage capacities of agricultural products and the bottlenecks to Ukrainian exports, as well as the potential for redirecting flows towards alternative routes. A recording of a press conference of the delegation Members at the end of the mission is available here.

O artigo foi publicado originalmente em Parlamento Europeu.