site.btaEuropean Commission Asked to Suspend Import of Ukrainian Eggs to Bulgaria

Sofia has called on the European Commission to suspend the import of eggs originating in Ukraine to Bulgaria until the market is regulated. The proposal was made by Agriculture and Food Minister Georgi Tahov at a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on September 23, Tahov's ministry reported on Tuesday.

A total of 2,618 tonnes of eggs were imported from Ukraine to Bulgaria in the first half of 2024, which was five times the amount imported in the first six months of 2023. The prices of Ukrainian eggs are considerably lower than the prices of eggs produced in Bulgaria, which puts much downward pressure on domestic price levels and has caused bankruptcies of Bulgarian poultry farms, Tahov said.

The EU Council reviewed the second year of the implementation of the strategic plans for the common agricultural policy.

Tahov supported a German proposal to raise the individual ceiling for de minimis aid to farmers to EUR 50,000 per enterprise and to increase the national ceilings. Bulgaria considers the respective European Commission proposal insufficient and disproportionate, which may cause inward pressure in the agricultural sector.