Political pressure in Brussels: Ukraine’s interests over the interests of European producers

Following the inter-institutional negotiations, the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA) approved that Ukraine could import its products into the Union without tariffs or quantitative restrictions for one more year. Fidesz MEPs Enikő Győri and Ernő Schaller-Baross pointed out after the vote: “The competent committee of the European Parliament has let the farmers down again.”

MEP Enikő Győri stated: “The parliamentary negotiating delegation could not deliver on the mandate from last week’s plenary session. Their mandate was to include Ukrainian wheat among the commodities eligible for automatic safeguards that would be triggered in the event of excessive imports. The plenary proposal to extend the reference year beyond the war years, as a benchmark for the activation of safeguard measures was also not defended. That is, during the years of war (2022-2023), imports had already increased significantly,” emphasized MEP Enikő Győri.

MEP Ernő Schaller-Baross said, “European farmers’ incomes have recently fallen to a fraction of what they were, and the situation has brought many agricultural businesses to the edge of collapse. The EU is choosing self-surrender instead of competitiveness, leaving European farmers vulnerable to the unrealistic expectations of a distorted market.”

The proposal was pushed through the Committee by the left with the support of the majority of the European People’s Party. The Fidesz delegation did not support and will not vote in favour of any proposal in the future that threatens the livelihood of European farmers and safe and high-quality food production in Europe.