The European Commission proposed today an increase in tariffs on the import of cereals, oilseeds and grain products from Russia and Belarus in order to prevent Moscow from using agricultural products for geopolitical purposes, and it is expected that the shortfall in supply will be partially compensated by imports from third countries, including Serbia.
The European Commission's announcement states that the aim of these measures is to prevent the destabilization of the EU market through any future significant diversion of Russian grain products to the European market.
"The EU agricultural community has particularly expressed concern about this risk – Russia's role as the world's leading grain exporter, together with its willingness to use food exports as a geopolitical tool, shows that this risk is high," the statement added.
The measures are also being introduced to resolve the issue of Russian exports of illegally appropriated grain produced on the territory of Ukraine.
"Today's proposed tariffs will ensure that this method of illegal export is no longer profitable," the Commission said.
Also, the increase in tariffs should prevent Russia from using revenues from exports to the EU to finance a war of aggression against Ukraine.
Bearing in mind that Russia exported these products to the EU worth around 1,3 billion euros in 2023, the Commission expects that the new tariffs will eliminate an important source of income for the Russian economy and thus for the "Russian war machine".
"This shortfall in supply will be partly filled by domestic production in the EU and will therefore benefit EU farmers who will be able to sell into the EU. In addition, the shortfall is expected to be partly filled by imports from third countries that traditionally supply the EU market , such as the USA, Brazil, Ukraine, Serbia or Argentina," the EC explained.
The new tariffs are designed to be high enough to discourage current imports, the commission said. Depending on the specific product, customs duties will be increased to 95 euros per ton, or by at least 50 percent.
The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that tariffs are being introduced on these products to mitigate the growing risk to the European market and farmers.
"Tariffs will reduce Russia's capacity to exploit the EU for the benefit of its war machine. We also maintain our commitment to preserving global food security, especially for developing countries," Lajen said.
The tariff increase will also apply to Belarus due to its close political and economic ties with Russia, and to prevent Moscow from using Belarus to circumvent the new measures and send its products to the EU market via that country.
The announcement emphasizes that today's proposal does not affect the transit of those products from Russia and Belarus to third countries.
Imports of cereals, oilseeds and grain products from Russia and Belarus make up only slightly more than one percent of the total amount on the EU market, the largest part of which is provided by domestic suppliers.
However, due to the growing discontent and protests of farmers due to the growth of cheap imports from Ukraine, the EU fears that Russia could use the situation to further destabilize the EU, according to AP.
The proposal of the Commission should also be adopted by the Council of the EU, after which the measures will be applied immediately.
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