The European Union and its member states should take “concrete and speedy” motion to place sanctions on Russian meals imports, Latvia’s Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze careworn on the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council on Tuesday (23 January).
Learn the unique French article right here.
“We will present our folks with the perfect meals on the earth by ourselves; imports from Russia must be banned,” Krauze stated as he arrived on the Council.
Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU imposed financial sanctions on Russia, however meals merchandise have been excluded .
Within the first ten months of 2023, EU international locations imported a complete of €2.2 billion value of meals merchandise from Russia, like dairy merchandise, fruit, greens, sugar confectionery, flour, cereals, and animal feed, in response to a notice introduced to the agriculture ministers by Latvia, with the help of Lithuania and Estonia.
As a result of the Baltic States have massive grain storage capability and environment friendly port infrastructure, they’ve finally turn into a hub for grain from Russia and, for the reason that blockade of the Black Sea, Ukraine.
In recent times, Russian harvests have been fairly distinctive.
In line with the European Fee, 360,000 tonnes of Russian cereals and 370,000 tonnes of oilseeds crossed the Latvian border in 2023, in comparison with 102,000 and 80,000, respectively, in a 12 months earlier.
“Final 12 months noticed an inflow of low cost Russian grain into Latvia, which, by unfair competitors, is driving Latvian and different EU corporations away from logistics, ports, our personal markets and export markets,” stated Krauze.
Even when a few of these merchandise go on to different EU international locations, “there’s a native drawback in Latvia, which can be felt in Lithuania, however to a lesser extent”, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski acknowledged on the press convention.
In line with Latvian media outlet LSM, Italy is the most important importer of Russian grain in Europe, with Latvia rating second.
Assist for Ukraine
Confronted with this inflow, the Latvian minister known as on the EU and the 27 member states to halt imports of Russian meals merchandise.
Latvia had already made the decision at earlier Agriculture and Fisheries Council conferences on 3 October and 11 December of final 12 months.
“I name for sanctions on the import of Russian meals and agricultural merchandise into the EU. I additionally invite colleagues from all member states to debate with their governments and prime ministers, as the choice to impose sanctions inside the EU might be taken by heads of state on the highest stage,” Krauze reiterated on Tuesday.
He was eager to level out that in 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Russia responded to EU sanctions with a strict meals embargo. In his view, by being extra versatile than its enemy, the EU was not directly supporting “the economic system and battle trade of this invader nation”.
In response to the decision, Wojciechowski promised to “analyse the scenario” and stated he was contemplating “potential devices to limit these imports”.
The Latvian minister additionally reiterated his help for Ukraine, which he described as a “precedence” – and insisted that the EU ought to “as quickly as doable” facilitate commerce in Ukrainian grain through the Baltic states, as had been proposed this summer season, so as to discover different export routes following Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea.
Nonetheless, Krauze did level out {that a} “long-term” resolution have to be discovered for Ukrainian imports to “defend EU producers”, significantly in Ukraine’s neighbouring states – Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.
“For instance, by assimilating Ukraine’s completely different manufacturing requirements to EU necessities.”
[Edited by Angelo Di Mambro/Zoran Radosavljevic]
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