Today, the European Commission proposed to extend the current liberalisation of imports from Ukraine for one year with additional safeguards. While the move to put in place mechanisms that would safeguard EU producers from the impact of the rising imports is welcomed, our six organisations, representing cereals, oil seeds, poultry, eggs, and sugar sectors do not believe they will provide sufficient relief.
Our group of organisations regret the decision to base the threshold for automatic triggering of the necessary safeguard measures on the 2022/23 average for poultry, eggs and sugar and considers the exclusion of cereals and oilseeds from such automatic measures totally unacceptable. The current system of licensing agreed between Ukraine and individual Member States, such as Romania and Bulgaria, for cereals and oilseeds, does not provide an effective EU wide solution and threatens the integrity of the EU Single Market.
While we believe that it is in the EU’s duty and interest to continue supporting Ukraine, the solution to the current situation concerning the impact of the imports on EU producers must be effectively addressed. Thus, we, as agricultural producers, are ready to continue doing our part in the EU efforts to help Ukraine. Unfortunately, we believe that this effort is not equitably shared, with the agricultural sector bearing a disproportionate and unsustainable burden.
If the solutions put in place are not effective in addressing the problem, the survival of EU cereals, oilseeds, poultry, eggs, and sugar producers in the neighbouring countries and beyond, will be at stake as will the unwavering support to Ukraine.
We also believe that it is essential to propose an EU level solution to this issue to preserve EU unity and the integrity of the EU Single Market.
We therefore call on the Council, and the European Parliament to strike the right balance regarding the following, during their discussions on this proposal:
- Base the automatic safeguard trigger on the yearly average for the combined years 2021 and 2022, and also include cereals and oilseeds. The average yearly imports of that period would already entail a considerable effort from EU producers.
- Ensure that any products imported above this threshold should be required to be exported outside the EU, and thus for transit only inside the EU market. The measurement of quantities would be based on DG TAXUD’s surveillance system.
The institutions must find a workable compromise and a constructive solution to maintain trade flows, protect EU producers, help Ukrainian producers to diversify their exports, re-establish old trading routes and limit their dependency to the EU market.
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
