May 15, Pozirk. The European Parliament reports that its international trade committee has backed a 50-percent raise in tariffs on some Russian and Belarusian agricultural products “to further reduce EU dependency.”
The new tariffs will affect products such as sugars, vinegar, flour and animal feed.
“The proposed measures will significantly reduce imports into the EU of the goods concerned originating in or exported directly or indirectly from Russia and Belarus,” the parliament said.
“This should result in further diversification of EU fertilizer production, a sector that is currently suffering from the low prices of imported goods.”
The proposal also tasks the European Commission with monitoring price hikes that could harm the internal market and the EU’s agricultural sector and taking action to mitigate them.
The draft regulation was adopted by 29 votes in favor, six against and two abstentions.
Inese Vaidere, the standing rapporteur for Russia, said the legislation to gradually raise customs duties on products from the two countries will prevent Russia from using the EU market to finance its war efforts.
“It is not acceptable that three years after Russia launched its full-scale war, the EU is still buying critical products in large volumes; in fact, these imports have significantly increased,” Vaidere said.
The proposal will be put to a vote during the next plenary session in Brussels on May 22.
