A number of organisations representing food producers in the EU have said that the proposed renewal of trade arrangements between the EU and Ukraine will “jeopardise” several food sectors in the bloc.
At the end of last month, the European Commission proposed to extend the autonomous trade measures (ATMs) which apply to Ukrainian agri-food exports into the EU.
The measures were originally put in place to allow Ukrainian agri-food into the EU market without duties and quotas amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
However, despite the commission saying that these measures come with protections to prevent EU agri-food being undercut by Ukrainian imports, concerns remain for some sectoral organisations.
Six groups, including Copa Cogeca, the umbrella group of EU farmer organisations, said that, if the commission’s plan to renew the ATMs is not amended, the EU’s poultry, egg, sugar, grain, and honey sectors will be impacted.
In a joint statement, Copa and five other groups said that measures to facilitate the movement of Ukrainian agri-food products through Europe to target markets in Africa and the Middle East have “only met their objectives to a certain extent”.
“Numerous agricultural commodities are failing to reach their intended markets and instead end up competing within the European Community market,” the statement said.
“Farmers in Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia are currently selling their products at prices approximately 40% below the standard market price, assuming they are able to sell it at all.
“What was initially considered a tolerable short-term situation has now escalated into a highly contentious issue, with thousands of farms facing an imminent threat of collapse. Protests movements [have intensified] in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries and the reasons behind them are readily apparent,” the statement added.
The six groups said that this issue has now expanded to other member states as well.
“Exports of products failing to meet our environmental and social standards are driving agricultural prices downward, even as input costs continue to rise.”
According to the joint statement, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, which can amend the commission’s proposal, have not shown any desire to take action, with the exception of “a few determined member states and courageous MEPs”.
“This approach will fail to address the concerns of farmers currently protesting. Instead, it will likely lead to further demonstrations, unilateral bans, and ultimately, reduced support for Ukraine,” the groups claimed.
“Without a more strategic outlook, Europe faces a double setback. On the one hand, disruptions to the domestic market are set to intensify, while on the other, Ukraine’s traditional markets are being replaced by Russian cereals and products,” their statement added.
The six groups behind the joint statement are: Copa-Cogeca; AVEC (poultry producers); CEFS (sugar producers); CEPM (maize producers); CIBE (beet growers); and EUWEP (poultry, eggs and game businesses).