The issue of competition with Ukrainian grain growers was at the heart of recent farmer protests.
EU member states approved on Wednesday the renewal, from June, of the exemption from customs duties for Ukrainian agricultural imports but with reinforced “safeguard mechanisms” to limit their impact.
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The text proposed by Brussels and validated by the ambassadors of the Twenty-Seven provides for rapid “corrective measures” in the event of “significant disruptions” on the market, and for three products (poultry, eggs, sugar) an “emergency brake” stabilizing imports at average volumes imported in 2022-2023, beyond which customs duties would be reimposed.
MEPs must now decide.
" Unfair competition "
Cereal farmers in many European countries have protested in recent weeks against the “unfair competition” allegedly exerted by their Ukrainian colleagues, who have benefited from advantages since the Russian invasion.
Since February 9, Polish farmers have blocked various border crossing points between Ukraine and Poland and have repeatedly dumped Ukrainian wheat stored in trucks or wagons on the ground.
A pro-Putin banner was even displayed in southern Poland.