France, Finland and Latvia question the countries that vetoed Ukrainian grain

Just before the start of the meeting EU Ministers of Agriculture In Luxembourg – the Secretary General for Agriculture and Food, Fernando Miranda, was present on behalf of Spain -, the head of the French portfolio, Marc Fesneau, drew attention this morning to the need to «they have a common attitude because solidarity is shared and market positions must be shared. There cannot be solidarity expressed on behalf of the twenty-seven for the five or six countries that could be affected by the increase in imports from Ukraine, while at the same time some countries within that package make unilateral decisions that are not decisions taken at the European level. In this way, as reported by Efe, he expressed his rejection, like Finland, Latvia, and even Spain, according to unilateral bans on Ukrainian imports which states of the community block as Poland (he picked it up with conditions a few days after he approved it), Hungary, Slovakia or Bulgaria manifested themselves in the last few days.

Although the deviations were known, the representatives of the agriculture of the Twenty-two started the meeting with the intention that to close the rift that has opened in recent weeks within the EU due to the consequences that the entry into cheap Ukrainian cereals has some eastern partners on the grain market. One of the solutions they are considering to calm the spirits of governments that don’t want to bother their farmers — protests over what they describe as “unfair competition” Ukrainian grain that, instead of reaching their destination countries, they remained in local warehouses, depressing harvest prices—is to establish an emergency mechanism to veto grain from Ukraine in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria, despite having to allow their passage in order to be exported to the rest of the EU. However, as Efe explains, the activation of this clause will depend on Poland and Hungary lifting the unilateral veto they announced on April 15 on a number of agricultural and food products from that country.

In addition, as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced last week in a letter addressed to these countries, the EU is studying the possibility of a new aid of 100 million euros, together with a co-financing rate of 200%, which would contribute to 56.3 million financed agricultural reserves for Bulgarian, Polish and Romanian farmers.

Although the meeting will not adopt any position on the matter because the EU’s trade policy is a responsibility European Comissionthe French owner also first demanded to know what the Bulgarian, Polish and Romanian farmers spent 56.3 million euros on agricultural reserve that they were advanced, before the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen was given an additional 100 million euros last week, which was advanced in a letter to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria. In addition, he added, it would be necessary to “document what you want to do” before giving them. Except, asked to analyze the affected agricultural sectors throughout the EU by the Russian invasion, except for the countries near Ukraine.

He is not the only one who expressed disagreement with some of the measures proposed to appease farmers in the countries that announced the veto in recent days. His Finnish counterpart, Antti Kurvinen, said it was unilateral veto to imports “are not the right way”. In addition, regarding the highlighted restrictions, he added that “they can call into question the unity of the EU when it comes to support Ukraine and I’m afraid that this reinforces the Russian messages and narrative about the war”, he commented and decided to find “other solutions” for the situation in the countries close to the former Soviet republic. “It is not very rational, on the one hand, to support Ukraine a lot, and on the other to block its exports and its economic opportunities,” he said. Latvian Minister Didzis Smits believes that unilateral vetoes are “not acceptable” because if the EU “has a common market, country-by-country policies cannot be implemented.”

In addition, he showed his disagreement with the European Commission’s plan to allow imports into five countries close to Ukraine only if they will cross those territories for export to other member states or to countries that do not belong to the community club.

He also asked for that crisis reserve be used for all countries affected by Ukrainian imports, including Latvia, which has damaged poultry and eggs, he said. The current Irish Prime Minister Charlie McConalogue advocated for the preservation of EU unity, while Croatian Minister Marija Vučković defended “unified” European solutions.