Is it even possible to introduce an embargo on agricultural products from Russia and Belarus in the EU? In my opinion, doubtful. The Dutch, Spanish, Germans and Italians trade best with Russia. Two years of war were not enough for business from these countries to understand how unethical they were acting. Now will they agree to “close the tap”?
On Thursday, the Sejm adopted a resolution proposed by Donald Tusk’s government, in which it called on the European Commission to submit a proposal to impose sanctions in connection with the import of Russian and Belarusian food and agricultural products to the European Union.
The Sejm emphasized that imports of food and agricultural products from Russia and Belarus continue to generate huge income for Russian and Belarusian producers and traders, as well as the budgets of these countries.
– Russia continues its strategy of treating food as a weapon, causing disruptions to the supply of Ukrainian agricultural products around the world. Therefore, the EU’s main priority should be to continue supporting Ukraine in restoring the export of its goods to the countries that need it most. The food and agricultural trade cannot continue to support the brutal Russian regime and its enablers in Minsk, the document says.
More in the article below:
Why this resolution and what are the chances of its “success”?
From the moment we informed on farmer.pl that Prime Minister Tusk would propose a resolution with the wording above, farmers have been asking in the comments: why this resolution? Why won’t Tusk close the border with Ukraine?
So, one more sentence from the resolution: The EU’s main priority should be to continue supporting Ukraine in restoring the export of its goods to the countries that need it most.
And now the statement of Krzysztof Hetman, Minister of Development and Technology, from Thursday’s debate on the resolution in the Sejm, which – although it was probably supposed to be different – casts a significant shadow on the main assumption of the resolution and, in my opinion, does not give much chance for the success of this initiative, which is the European Commission’s call to impose sanctions in connection with the import of Russian and Belarusian food and agricultural products into the European Union.
Minister Hetman first answered the MPs’ question about the value of imports from Russia in terms of agricultural products to Poland, or which countries are the largest importers of agricultural products from Russia.
– Poland generally imports, in global terms it is only 1% of Polish agricultural imports. Imports from Russia take up 1%, literally – 1%. And when it comes to agricultural imports from Belarus, it is 0.2%, i.e. a trace amount. However, ladies and gentlemen, these imports from Russia amount to USD 380 million, and from Belarus – USD 86 million. Of course, we export much more. We have a positive balance with Russia, at the level of USD 240 million, and in the case of Belarus – USD 180 million.
Then Minister Hetman answered the question which countries are the largest importers of agricultural products from Russia.
– So I would like to inform you that the largest importer of all products is Latvia, which, as we know, has already introduced an embargo and has taken appropriate actions, but it was the first importer when it comes to the European Union. In second place is the Netherlands, in third place is Spain. This is an increase in imports from Russia by as much as 72%. The next places are taken by Germany and Italy. If the House is interested in grain imports, it is approximately 1.5 million tons. Italy is in first place – 40%, Latvia was 20%, Greece – 17%, Spain – 15%.
And next:
– I would like to emphasize one thing that Minister Siekierski also said. This resolution and the action taken by the Polish government to once again introduce an embargo on agricultural products from Russia into the discussion at the European Union level, their main goal is to free this space for Ukrainian products. Because if the countries I have just mentioned buy these products, these goods in Russia, the space for Ukrainian goods decreases and the pressure on the Polish market increases. So if we want to help Ukraine on the one hand and take care of the interests of Polish farmers on the other, we must create a situation in which Russia cannot export agricultural goods to the European Union.
– I will only add that over the last year, Russia’s share in the global grain market has increased from 16% to 24%. This shows what Minister Siekierski has already talked about, ladies and gentlemen, how much Russia occupies space or has occupied space where Polish and Ukrainian grain was previously exported. And that’s where the problems we have come from. Thus this resolution – I would like to thank you very much for the fact that representatives of all political forces in the High Chamber intend to support it – is also an expression of support for Polish farmers and for fighting Ukraine. One thing absolutely does not exclude the other.
Approx. Now the question is: how does Donald Tusk want to convince the Dutch, Spaniards, Germans and Italians not to buy agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, or from Ukraine, or even from Poland. How we see, Two years of war were not enough for business from these countries to understand how unethical they were acting. The Netherlands or Spain apparently do not need goods from Ukraine or Poland, but from Russia… Business is business. Will the resolution help? Personally, I doubt whether the EU will accept the embargo at all. But I hope I was wrong.
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