site.btaAgriculture Minister: Bulgaria Asks EC for Protective Measures Against Egg Imports from Ukraine

Bulgaria asks the European Commission to activate a protection mechanism for Bulgarian egg producers because of the negative market trends observed as a result of imports from Ukraine. The procedure for preparing a written request to the Commission has already started, Agriculture and Food Minister Georgi Tahov said at a meeting with representatives of the Association of Industrial Poultry. The meeting took place on Tuesday at the Agriculture Ministry, the ministry's press centre said. 

Tahov noted that Bulgaria made the first step in defence of producers, as data on the situation in the sector were presented by him to the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels. As a result of the joint efforts of several Member States, a safeguard mechanism was put in place with the activation of a tariff quota, outside of which a duty applies on imports of eggs from Ukraine, based on Regulation (EU) 2024/1827.

"We are convinced that it is necessary to protect Bulgarian producers through this mechanism," Tahov said.

He pointed out that according to official statistics for the first half of 2024, there has been a significant increase in imports of fresh hen eggs from Ukraine compared to the same period in 2023.

According to Regulation (EU) 2024/1392, temporary protection measures against adverse market effects may be introduced for a certain period to counteract negative trends. In order to impose such measures, it is necessary for the European Commission to assess within four months the state of the EU market or the market of one or more Member States of the products concerned, the statement said.