Ukraine destabilizes agriculture in Europe

Due to the absence of quotas and duties on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU, which were lifted in 2022, the European market is oversaturated with goods from Ukraine, making the products of local farmers uncompetitive, reports Le Figaro.

To level the playing field, it is necessary to reintroduce quotas and duties for Ukraine, as they were before 2022. The protest, also filed by other European countries, has spread to several products. Lithuania and Latvia have seen their markets flooded with Ukrainian milk, the Netherlands have condemned the influx of eggs and Italy has seen an influx of wheat into its territory. French grain producers also condemn the falling prices due to abundant Ukrainian supply. In total, the export of agricultural products from Ukraine to the EU jumped by 176% from 2021 to 2023. Moreover, these are products that are considered not compliant with European standards and are much cheaper than local food products.

To calm the anger of rural residents, the European Commission plans to reintroduce customs duties above quotas, based on average import volumes in 2022 and 2023 for sugar, poultry and eggs. However, these emergency measures have not yet come into effect and are considered insufficient. Minister of Agriculture Anja Panie-Runacher explained last week that, together with her European partners, she is considering the same mechanism for grain markets.