Brussels | Reuters—The European Union provisionally agreed on Monday to restrictions on Ukrainian food imports, which some EU members say have destabilized the bloc’s agricultural markets.
EU decision-makers have wrangled for weeks on limits to tariff-free access for Ukrainian produce as farmers protested about cheap imports, with some in Poland blocking the border with Ukraine and spilling Ukrainian grain across rail tracks.
EU lawmakers and Belgium, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, said they had reached an deal on the curbs. This will still require approval from other EU members and the European Parliament.
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Confusion over documents halts Ukrainian rapeseed, soybeans exports, union says
The introduction of a 10 per cent duty on Ukrainian rapeseed and soybean exports has virtually halted Ukrainian exports due to a lack of clear government procedure on the documents needed for shipment, the country’s largest farmers union UAC said on Monday.
The European Commission proposed in January extending tariff-free access until June 2025, but with a so-called emergency brake for poultry, eggs and sugar to apply tariffs if imports exceeded the average of 2022 and 2023 levels.
Since then, oats, maize, groats and honey have been added, with the average also to be calculated including the second half of 2021. In that year, which was before Russia invaded Ukraine, imports were far lower because tariffs applied.
EU lawmakers and Belgium agreed on that formula on Monday, an EU diplomat said.
—Reporting for Reuters by Philip Blenkinsop
