EU Ambassadors agreed yesterday on a new compromise to extend trade measures for Ukraine, with an unexpected approach that from farmers and manufacturers’ perspective does not provide a real answer to the key issues from the trilogue outcome. This new compromise will now be presented to the European Parliament.
In yesterday’s Coreper negotiations, the Belgian Presidency proposed to extend the reference period for the triggering of safeguard measures with the inclusion of the second half of year 2021 as a solution for the concerns raised by many Member States to the initial trilogue outcome. This half-response does not provide a real answer to farmers’ and manufacturers concerns and would only bring very limited relief for our producers.
Without the inclusion of common wheat and barley in the automatic triggering of the safeguard measures and without the inclusion of the full 2021 in the reference period it remains unsustainable for farmers and manufacturers.
Finally, it is important to underline once again, that this agreement and these renewed ATMs which still need to be approved by the European Parliament and will most likely constitute the bases for further re-negotiation of the association agreement with Ukraine, providing additional concerns for the sector on the long-term effects of Ukrainian imports.
On behalf of the following associations:
AVEC – Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU countries
CEFS – European Association of Sugar Manufacturers
CEPM – European Confederation of Maize Production
CIBE – International Confederation of European Beet Growers
COPA-COGECA – The united voice of farmers and their cooperatives in the European Union
EUWEP – European Union of Wholesale with Eggs, Egg Products, Poultry and Game
Fonte: Copa Cogeca
