Farmer demonstrations: steam, Ukrainian products… What does the EU offer in response to anger

The European Union makes promises to farmers protesting across Europe. On Wednesday, Brussels proposed granting a partial exemption from EU steam obligations and intervening to limit any uncontrolled increase in Ukrainian agricultural imports.

Following the exemption from customs duties granted by the EU in the spring of 2022, the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products – grains, eggs, chickens, sugar, etc. – has caused discontent among farmers. The latter accuse them of reducing prices on local markets and maintaining “unfair” competition by abandoning some European standards (pesticides, mass poultry farming, etc.).

“Security measures”

The European Commission has proposed extending for an additional year, from June 2024 to June 2025, the customs duty exemption granted to Ukraine, which is still undermined by its conflict with Russia. But coupled with enhanced “safety measures” to limit the impact on markets and the consequences for EU farmers, according to the text that will now be presented to member states and MEPs.

These “enhanced protective mechanisms” will allow “rapid corrective measures” to be taken in the event of significant disruptions in the European market, including when they affect only one or a few states, Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said. Measures that will continue to be controlled by Brussels, despite a unilateral embargo imposed by the five littoral states, led by Poland, in the spring of 2023, much to the dismay of the Commission, the sole policeman of EU trade policy.

First of all, for products considered “sensitive” – ​​poultry, eggs and sugar – an “emergency brake” is planned to “stabilize” imports at average import volumes in 2022 and 2023, above which customs duties will be re-imposed.

Most states are against steam obligation

Another issue highlighted by recent agricultural discontent: the fallow obligations imposed by the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which came into force in early 2023. From now on, assistance paid to farmers is conditional on meeting agro-ecological criteria, including the obligation to leave at least 4% of arable land fallow or agro-ecological infrastructure (hedgerows, groves, ditches, ponds, etc.).

According to the proposal presented to the Twenty-Seven, this obligation, already fully suspended last year without any conditions, would be subject to a “partial release” for 2024 – with retroactive effect. Farmers will be able to benefit from CAP even if they do not have 4% fallow land, provided, however, that they receive 7% cover or nitrogen-fixing crops (lentils, peas, etc.) without the use of any phytosanitary products.

Brussels suspended steam obligations after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine to be able to produce more and compensate for disruptions in the supply of Ukrainian and Russian grains, but initially refused to extend the measure in 2024, despite persistent calls from most states, including France.