France supports return of quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products

The French government complained about grain imports from Ukraine, stating that they were “destabilizing the market.”

This was stated by French Agriculture Minister Anne Genevre, writes LIGA.net.

Commenting on the return of quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products, she noted that the abolition of customs duties had an impact on the destabilization of certain industries in France.

“I also see that if you look at the evolution of grain imports, in particular Ukrainian ones, it is also destabilizing our own production,” the minister commented.

According to Anne Genevre, support for Ukraine cannot be carried out without taking into account the consequences for France’s own production, so finding a balance is necessary.

“I support any position that ensures a balance between the necessary support for the country that is the victim of aggression and the preservation of our production,” the minister emphasized before the start of the EU Agriculture Council meeting on May 26 in Brussels.

As a reminder, the EU abolished tariff quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products at the beginning of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Last week, the European Commission, under pressure from farmers from Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, decided to restore these restrictions from June 6.

No EU member state opposed this decision, eight countries abstained: Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania.

The quotas for imports of Ukrainian agricultural goods will be temporary until the end of 2025 and will amount to 7/12 of the usual annual volumes.

The Ukrainian government estimates that a return to pre-war trading conditions will reduce its revenues by approximately 3.5 billion euros per year.