As Brussels begins to consider tariffs on Russian grain, Lithuania proposes to expand their application | Business

“We propose to extend the applicable measures at least to those categories that are mainly imported into the European Union – vegetables, fish products. We believe that it is immoral to import the products of these countries and help accumulate profits for the aggressor, which is financing the war in Ukraine, and at the same time to harm the local producers of the European Union,” the Ministry of Agriculture, participating in the formation of Lithuania’s position, told BNS.

In March, Lithuania, together with Latvia, Estonia, Poland and the Czech Republic, called on the EC to analyze the possibility of limiting the import of food products originating in Russia and Belarus into the Community.

“We are receiving enormous pressure not only from representatives of the grain sector, but also from representatives of the vegetable and other agricultural sectors,” the ministry said.

On Friday in Brussels, the Working Group of the Customs Union of the Council of the EU, made up of representatives of the Community countries, began considering the proposal submitted by the EC in March to introduce maximum import tariffs for grains, oilseeds and their products, including wheat, corn and sunflower meal.

Lithuania is represented at the meeting of the working group by the customs attaché in Brussels Kastytis Šklenskas, the employees of the country’s representative office in the EU responsible for customs and trade, the agricultural attaché Lina Bažinskienė also participates.

The EC’s proposal on tariffs for Russian and Belarusian grain should continue to be discussed at the level of ambassadors of the Community countries in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), then it will be voted on by a qualified majority in the EU Council of Ministers.

In March, when the EC proposed to set maximum tariffs for the import of Russian and Belarusian grain into the European Union (EU), its vice-chairman Valdis Dombrovskis said at the time that this would effectively stop their entry into the Community market.

According to him, the import tariffs will depend on the specific product. For example, 95 euros per ton should be applied to common wheat, 148 euros to durum wheat, and 50 percent to oilseeds. import tariff.

Lithuanian vegetable growers reported this week that Russian-grown vegetables, mainly cucumbers and tomatoes, are entering Lithuania through Belarus and Poland after falsified origin documents. According to the Lithuanian Greenhouse Association (LŠA), such production is sold in the country several times cheaper than local or grown in Poland or Latvia.

According to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, Russian agricultural exports are now exempt from any EU import duties.

According to the EC, 4.8 million were imported into the EU from Russia and Belarus last year. tons of grain worth 1.5 billion euros.