The European Commission wants to impose higher tariffs on imports of Russian grain. This should put a stop to the rising import numbers. But for some members this does not go far enough.
The authority has prepared a corresponding proposal, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said late on Thursday evening after talks between EU heads of state and government at a summit in Brussels. In addition to grain, it would also affect other agricultural products from Russia and Belarus.
In addition, according to Von der Leyen, grain stolen from Ukraine must be prevented from being sold to the EU. Russian grain should not destabilize the EU market and Russia should not profit from the export of these goods.
Imports increased significantly
As figures from Eurostat’s statistical office show, EU countries have significantly increased their grain imports from Russia in recent years. While in the pre-war years 2020 and 2021 grain was imported from Russia into the EU for almost 120 million euros (2020) and more than 290 million euros (2021), in 2022 this was around 325 million euros and a year later almost 440 million euros.
Before the summit, several EU countries had written a letter to the European Commission demanding that the Commission prepare import restrictions on Russian grain. Russia is also financing the ongoing war against Ukraine with profits from grain exports to the EU, according to the letter, which was signed by the agriculture ministers of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
Moreover, the Commission should examine the extent to which the import of agricultural products of Russian and Belarusian origin into the EU could be fundamentally further restricted.
Customs duties apply only to the EU territory
The proposal is explosive because the EU did not actually want to restrict the import and export of agricultural products. The Commission now argues that tariffs are not sanctions. Furthermore, it must be ensured that taxes only apply to imports that remain in the EU. This should not make Russian exports to other parts of the world more expensive.
At the same time, EU member states and the European Parliament recently agreed to restrict duty-free imports of certain agricultural imports from Ukraine from June. Eggs, poultry, sugar, but also oats, corn and honey are affected. Wheat and barley, on the other hand, should not be included on the list.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
