France to keep looking for instruments to control Ukrainian grain on EU market

MOSCOW. April 10 (Interfax) - France will keep looking for instruments to control Ukrainian grain on the European market, Ukrainian media said, citing French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau before a meeting of the AGRIFISH Council in Genk on Tuesday.

Fesneau described the new restrictions on certain Ukrainian agricultural exports satisfactory. "The measures aimed to regulate poultry, egg and sugar supplies basically meet the French proposals," he said.

Fesneau welcomed the broader reference period for sensitive goods quotas, which include some periods of 2021, as well as 2022-2023. "This gives a better idea of the actual pre-crisis supplies," he said.

Fesneau regretted that quotas on barley and soft wheat, among other products, was not on the agenda and promised to "use other instruments," since France cannot want for the market "to be shaken further."

Fesneau said he was sure that at the end of the autonomous trade support measures the European Commission should recall the 2015 resolution, by which importers had to license the delivery of their commodities to the EU market.

"This market needs constant monitoring. We cannot wait until further destabilization of the grain market before we interfere. We need preventive measures. Anyway, France and some other countries will try to relay this message [to the EU agrarian ministers and the European Commission]," he said.

As reported, the European Parliament and the European Council reached a preliminary agreement on Monday to extend the liberalized trade regime for Ukraine until June 5, 2025, while protecting EU farmers.

"The autonomous trade measures [...] will help Ukraine with its long-term recovery as well as its gradual integration into the EU internal market," the EU said in a statement.

As agreed, the European Commission can take swift action and introduce any measures it deems necessary in the event of a significant disruption to the EU market or markets of one or more EU countries due to Ukrainian imports, such as wheat.

The EU safeguards for local farmers envisage emergency restrictions on particularly sensitive agricultural products, namely, poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, cereals, corn and honey. Negotiators agreed to extend the reference period for the autonomous trade measures.

Should the imports exceed the average volumes of the second half of 2021 and throughout 2022 and 2023, the tariffs will be revised. In addition, the European Commission pledged closer monitoring of grain imports, including those of wheat.