site.btaEuropean Commission to Address Bulgarian Farmers' Fears over Ukraine Farm Imports

In January, the European Commission will propose trade measures consistent with the fears of farmers from five EU countries (including Bulgaria) over agricultural imports from Ukraine, a Spokesperson of the Commission said at a press conference on Friday, answering questions related to those countries' letter to the Commission.

On Monday, the agriculture ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia signed a letter on Ukrainian agricultural exports to EC Executive Vice President and EU Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis and EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, stressing that producers in frontline Member States continue to face difficulties in marketing their products on their traditional export markets, where they are being replaced by cheap Ukrainian agricultural products. They urge the Commission to introduce measures to protect their markets. The five countries propose as a possible solution the introduction of tariff quotas for most agricultural imports from Ukraine.

The spokesperson confirmed that the EC had received the letter and would reply in due time. In his words, the Commission's proposals have been put for preliminary discussion.

The spokesperson noted that issues related to Ukraine are on the agenda of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels scheduled for a later date in January.