UCAB and leading European agricultural associations respectfully suggest reconsideration of the proposed amendments by the European Parliament about suspending import duties and quotas on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU, that were voted on 13th of March 2024.

The appeal notes that slashing imports from Ukraine will pose challenges to food production, employment, and the broader economy in both the EU and Ukraine.  

“The amendment would not just limit imports, it would result in a drastic cut of imports and undermine prospects for Ukraine’s economic future, given the importance of agriculture in its economy. For sugar, we see no justification for drastically reducing imports from Ukraine. The EU has a chronic sugar deficit and needs to import between 2 and 3 million tonnes annually to meet demand”, – explains Yuriy Sharanov, President of The Committee of European Sugar Users (CIUS). 

To introduce an earlier reference period would cut imports even more than under the Commission’s proposal, with no credible justification. The EU has a chronic sugar deficit, so imports from Ukraine are needed and provide a vital contribution to the European food industry and economy. 

Without them the EU’s strong export surplus in high value added sugar containing products is undermined as well as the Ukrainian economy. The annual sugar import need is between 2 and 3.5 million tonnes of sugar each year. Imports from Ukraine in the marketing year 2022/2023 amounted to 400 000 tonnes. The Commission's proposal would already significantly reduce sugar imports from Ukraine for the 2024/25 marketing year, with estimates suggesting a reduction of 3-4 times compared to the previous years of 2022/23 and 2023/24. The European Parliament's recommendations would slash this further towards the derisory pre-war TRQ levels.

“It is hard to see how European sugar producers have been harmed by the increase of imports of sugar from Ukraine, given that EU sugar prices are at historically high levels and far above World Market sugar prices. EU sugar producers have benefited from double digit profit increases and EU beet prices increased by 50-100%– and all this during the period in which the EU was benefiting from much needed imports from Ukraine”, – noted in the appeal.

Ukrainian agricultural community with leading European agricultural associations believe in the importance of a balanced approach that considers the needs of all stakeholders, including sugar producers, users, and consumers. But we also call for dialogue and cooperation, which are essential in crafting policies that ensure the availability of resources, support sustainable agriculture, and promote economic stability across Europe and its trading partners.