Ukraine says no to EU membership without access to selling grain

Por Agnes Rønberg — War in Ukraine – POLITICO

Ukraine “cannot agree” to an EU membership model that would permanently limit sales of certain food products to the bloc, the country’s Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi told POLITICO.

The European Commission endorsed this model Tuesday, as part of a so-called pre-enlargement policy review to prepare the EU for future enlargements.

“For us, there is a fundamental difference between a transitional period and a permanent restriction. Ukraine is prepared for the former. The latter would run counter to the very logic of full European Union membership,” Vysotskyi said in a written statement.

The potential accession of Ukraine to the EU raises fundamental questions about farm support and imports. Ukraine exports millions of tons of grain to the world market and sells to the EU under a strict quota regime. Some countries, such as Poland, have blocked grain imports from Ukraine to protect their own farming sectors.

The Commission’s proposal states it wants to “significantly limit financial support and market access for sensitive agricultural products.”

Instead of giving Kyiv full market access, the Commission would rather help Ukraine get back into its “historic” export markets, which include Africa and the Middle East, the draft states.

But Vysotskyi insists Ukraine should not “solely” be seen as a threat to European farmers. He argues the country could help the EU become less dependent on imports from third countries for commodities such as fertilizers, soybeans and lysine for animal feed, and give EU producers better access to Black Sea export routes. Ukraine could also be a place to invest in food processing facilities, Vysotskyi said.

“Our goal is to reach membership with a sector that sells Europe not only grain and other raw materials but also animal feed, ingredients, processed products, and biofuels,” he added.

Vysotskyi confirmed Ukraine is open to transition periods — which could include phasing in farm support, temporary quotas and safeguards for sensitive products. But he maintained that they must have an end date.

Gerardo Fortuna contributed to this report.

Fonte: War in Ukraine – POLITICO