Subject: Situation on the poultry meat market following the suspension of customs duties and quotas on products from Ukraine
In June 2022, a decision was taken to liberalise trade with Ukraine in order to support the country in the wake of Russia’s aggression. Unfortunately, this has led to serious disruptions in the EU’s poultry sector due to the unprecedented increase in poultry meat imports from Ukraine at very low prices.
The latest import figures show that:
– total poultry meat imports into the EU reached 163 675 tonnes in 2022, an 80% increase compared to the previous year;
– total EU egg imports reached 22 233 tonnes, up 300% compared to the previous year.
We understand the need to continue to provide support to Ukraine, but it is not fair that certain sectors in some Member States, in particular Poland, have to pay a very high price for this aid. If measures are not taken soon, the survival of our poultry industry will be at risk.
1. What steps does the Commission intend to take to ensure that Polish and European producers are able to compete with products from Ukraine which do not meet the same high quality and food safety standards?
2. Is the Commission considering not granting an extension of the suspension of customs duties and quotas for Ukrainian poultry meat and eggs for another year?
3. Does the Commission plan to adopt solutions that would ensure that products from Ukraine go to those countries most in need, i.e. those outside the EU?
Submitted: 8.3.2023
Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis on behalf of the European Commission (7 June 2023)
Due to the continuing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the Commission has proposed to renew the autonomous trade measures for another year beyond their current expiry on 5 June 2023 (1).
To address concerns as regards increase of imports, the Commission’s proposal includes an easier and faster procedure for safeguard investigations with more robust and regular monitoring and reporting to Member States, lower trigger threshold and shorter assessment deadline, which might lead to an adoption of safeguard measures.
The EU has not lowered its food safety standards for imports of animal products from Ukraine, nor amended its import controls verifying that imported poultry products from Ukraine comply with the EU sanitary and phytosanitary standards.
Any findings of non-compliance leading to risks for public health are notified by the competent authorities of Member States within the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). These have not identified weaknesses of the Ukrainian control system overseeing the export of poultry products until now.
The Commission put forward a number of short‐ and medium-term measures to support EU farmers most affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (2).
The poultry sector is eligible for support (3). The Commission also notes that in 2022 poultry meat production fell sharply in some Member States due to Avian Influenza outbreaks, making the EU in need of increased imports.
1 ∙ ⸱ Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on temporary trade liberalisation supplementing trade concessions applicable to Ukrainian
products under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part, COM (2023) 106 final.
2 ∙ ⸱ Communication from the Commission on the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for state aid measures to support the economy following the aggression
against Ukraine by Russia (OJ C 101, 17.3.2023, p.3). This Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework replaces the Temporary Crisis Framework adopted on 28 October 2022 (OJ C 426, 28.10.2022, p. 1), which had already replaced the previous Temporary Crisis Framework adopted on 23 March 2022 (OJ C 131, 24.3.2022, p. 1), as amended on 20 July 2022 (OJ C 280, 21.7.2022, p. 1). The Temporary Crisis Framework was withdrawn with effect from 9 March 2023. 3 ∙ ⸱ Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/467 of 23 March 2022 providing for exceptional adjustment aid to producers in the agricultural sectors (OJ L 96,
24.3.2022, p.4).
| | ) The Commission and EU Member States, in the context of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes (4), are also putting all efforts into eliminating administrative and logistical obstacles with a view to reducing the costs of and facilitating the transport of Ukrainian agricultural products via the EU so that they can reach third countries most in need.
4 ∙ ⸱ Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the
Committee of the Regions ‘An action plan for EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes to facilitate Ukraine's agricultural export and bilateral trade with the EU’, COM(2022) 217 final.