Hungary will demand to limit imports of Ukrainian grain at the EU level

The EU’s agricultural policy is dangerous not only for farmers but also for consumers, as Ukrainian agricultural products produced under uncontrolled conditions enter the European market in unlimited quantities without paying any customs duties. Hungarian Agriculture Minister István Nagy said this after a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Brussels.

“Ukrainian agricultural products have pushed out the products of European farmers (from the European market – ed.),” the minister said in a statement published on the website of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture.

According to him, European farmers cannot compete with cheap grain products from Ukraine. He also noted that Ukraine has managed to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports and has exported more than 17 million tons of grain by sea since the beginning of the marketing year.

“If the sea route is free, it will protect the markets of the European Union. The EU can impose restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products in a way that does not harm Ukraine and even helps the products return to their traditional markets – the Middle East, Asia and Africa,” the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture emphasizes.

Nagy said that Hungary insists on solving the problem of imports of Ukrainian grains and oilseeds as part of the extension of the autonomous trade liberalization measure (ATM Regulation), as the main problem is caused by these products.

He emphasized that Hungary will reject amendments to the agreement until it includes grains and oilseeds.

“If the issue of trade in these products is not resolved, the Hungarian government will maintain its current decision on national restrictions and will not allow Ukrainian agricultural products to enter the country,” Nagy emphasized.

As reported, the EU countries are currently unable to agree on the extension of trade benefits for Ukraine.

The Belgian presidency of the EU Council has updated the draft agreement, partially taking into account the requirements of Poland and France. In particular, the base period for imposing restrictions on imports from Ukraine has been updated – now it is proposed to focus not only on 2022 and 2023, but also on the second half of 2021.

The restrictions, which will be based on import estimates for the first half of 2021, 2022, and 2023, are estimated at €331 million in losses for the Ukrainian budget. There is also a possibility of an emergency export suspension for a number of categories of agricultural products, including poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, corn, cereals, and honey.

Tags: EU, Hungary, restrictions, grain