The European Commission looks set to give in to some demands from Eastern EU member countries and introduce tariffs on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, sunflower and rapeseed, it said Wednesday, according to Politico.
The announcement comes as Brussels scrutinizes restrictions imposed by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia on Ukrainian produce in response to a supply glut resulting from Russia’s war of aggression and delays to exports through the Black Sea.
Bulgaria also imposed restrictions Wednesday and Romania is considering following suit.
In a letter to the five countries, the Commission has proposed “preventative measures” on imports of Ukrainian maize, wheat, sunflower and rapeseed, spokesperson Dana Spinant told a daily briefing. The EU executive envisages imposing customs duties on these products, according to spokesperson Miriam Garcia Ferrer.
The Commission proposal will be discussed during a meeting of Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis and the five countries’ trade ministers later in the day.
Other options under consideration include revising a one-year deal with Ukraine, under which essentially all remaining duties and checks for imports from the country have been dropped and which the Commission has proposed extending until June 2024.
Brussels is also expected to throw in additional funding for the so-called solidarity lanes established to evacuate Ukrainian shipments to world markets and distribute €100 million in support for the five Eastern European member countries, Ferrer said.
Earlier, Wojciechowski said the Commission would announce “good news” for farmers. “At the end of today, we will be able to communicate important and I think good decisions for farmers in Poland and in the countries that border Ukraine,” Wojciechowski told an agricultural conference in Poland by video link.