10
May
2023
Watch
Ukrainian cereals on the European market (debate)
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we all want to help Ukraine. Ukraine has been attacked illegitimately, unfairly, illegally by the Russian Federation, and we all want to help Ukraine. But we must help Ukraine in such a way that we do not affect farmers in Member States of the European Union and, Commissioner, for a year now we have known that we have a surplus of cereals in Ukraine, too many cereals, and we know that these cereals are needed in other countries outside the European Union. In your position as Commissioner for Agriculture you had to make sure that the transit of cereals, where there are too many cereals, where they are needed, is organised properly. These cereals have flooded the markets of the Member States of the European Union, they affect local producers, they affect local farmers and that is why, Commissioner, you must put in place and make this mechanism work exactly as we thought it would last year. Its commissioning has been delayed and this is your direct obligation as Commissioner for Agriculture. In two or three months the harvest will come this year already and it must be clear: grain can leave Ukraine, Member States in the European Union are just transit zones and go where they are needed. It is your obligation to defend farmers in all Member States of the European Union. It is your obligation to defend farmers in a crisis situation, but we need to prepare for such situations in order to avoid going back into times of crisis in the future. That's why the mechanism we've decided on has to work. It is a European solution for farmers in all European countries.