“We had to find a solution, it’s not the one I would have chosen,” recognizes environmentalist MEP Benoît Biteau

“We had to find a solution, it’s not the one I would have chosen”recognizes Wednesday March 20 on franceinfo Benoît Biteau, environmentalist MEP, candidate on the EELV list and himself a farmer, on the subject of the agreement reached between the European Union and the European Parliament to cap certain Ukrainian agricultural imports from June exempt from customs duties, such as eggs, poultry, sugar, corn, oats but not wheat.

Note that this agreement was finally suspended early Wednesday afternoon but still remains on the table. A suspension due to opposition in particular from France, Poland and Italy, three of the largest agricultural countries in the European Union. Additional time for reflection is therefore granted.

“I would have chosen a solution which is based on the reintroduction of customs taxes for products from Ukraine which enter Europe and for all products which leave Europe and which go to the destination countries which are the ‘Egypt or North Africa.’

Benoît Biteau, EELV MEP

at franceinfo

According to the MEP, “we could have once again deducted customs taxes and therefore Ukrainian products no longer entered into competition with products from the European Union”.

Benoît Biteau recalls that the purchase of Ukrainian products by Europe represented “Approximately 2.5 billion euros”. He adds that “the decision which has just been taken – if confirmed – causes sales from Ukraine to Europe to fall to 0.9 billion”. A drop “60%” Who “weakens Ukraine in its war effort, particularly to resist Russia”. A situation that the MEP considers delicate: “It is this balance that we must find between the protection of European farmers and the desire to show solidarity with Ukraine. It is the difficulty of the equation at the moment which means that we have to hard to find a balance.”