Russia: Speech by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell in the EP plenary on imposing sanctions on imports of Russian and Belarusian food and agricultural[...]

Thank you very much, and I will deliver this statement on behalf of Vice-President/High Representative [Josep] Borrell.

President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

Food should never be used as a weapon of war. As part of its war against Ukraine, Russia intentionally undermined global food security by imposing a naval blockade of Ukrainian ports and by targeting its grain storage and export facilities. This was done at the expense of the most vulnerable of the world.

In May 2022, the European Union established EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes and developed alternative logistics routes to help Ukraine export its agricultural products.

In July 2022, the United Nations and Türkiye brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative. However, Russia continuously undermines it, a year later Russia unilaterally withdrew from it and continues weaponising food.

Since last year, Ukraine has been successfully exporting food through the Black Sea Corridor, after having successfully limited operations of Russia's navy. Currently, the volumes exported through the Corridor almost equals pre-war levels.

We are confronted today with a different situation in the agri-food market, against the background of increasing import to the European Union of foodstuff from Russia. Some Member States have raised the issue of influx of cheap Russian grain.

The [European] Commission has been notified of the Latvian decision to adopt an import ban of certain agricultural and feed products from Russia and Belarus and is still analysing the measure.

We are monitoring very closely Russian imports to the European Union, including the imports of Russian grain to individual EU Member States.

The Commission analyses the flows of agri-food products into and from the European Union and assesses what the impacts of those flows are: for our own agricultural markets and farmers, for our customers, as well as for the wider issue of global food security.

In particular, the Commission is monitoring closely Russian and Belarusian imports to the EU, and would consider any additional measure deemed appropriate to avoid EU grain markets being destabilised by imports from Russia or Belarus.

When it comes to sanctions in response to Russia's war of aggression of Ukraine, the European Union has unanimously imposed 13 packages of wide-ranging sanctions against Russia. They successfully weaken Russia's economy, cut revenue streams and curtail Putin's ability to wage war. Around 60% of all pre-war imports from Russia into the European Union are subject to our sanctions by now - an unprecedented decoupling and use of our economic leverage.

However, the EU sanctions on purpose do not target Russia's trade in agri-food products and fertilizers.

This is because sanctions on Russia's agri-food imports into the European Union could cause more harm, notably in the form of higher prices, to importing countries in the Global South - in case the products are transited or re-exported via the European Union - than to the Russian economy.

It is also important to note the dimensions here: EU total imports from Russia in 2022 were worth €203.4 billion, out of which €2.2 billion were actual agri-food imports. So, we should keep things in perspective.

In other words, the EU sanctions as they stand intentionally do not target Russia's trade in agri-food products.

The European Union has actively worked to preserve the global flow of agricultural and food products, for example by introducing very targeted derogations from prohibitions in the Russia sanctions.

This is important to stress here. Because from the outset, Russia has engaged in a disinformation campaign, accusing the European Union of threatening food security in the Global South. These lies have had some traction in partner countries - despite us pushing back. It is therefore imperative that the European Union continuously counters this narrative and instead highlights what we have done to safeguarding global food security.

As long as Russia's illegal war against Ukraine continues, we will continue to isolate Russia internationally and call it out for war crimes and for blatant violations of international humanitarian law, maintain our wide-range support for Ukraine, continue applying sanctions against Russia.

Thank you.

Link to the video (starting from 00:26): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-254475

Closing remarks

President,

I would like to thank you all for this very interesting debate. I have listened very carefully, and I would like to thank you for your strong engagement on this issue.

Russia's war against Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law including the United Nations' Charter. It goes against the European Union's objective to strengthen the multilateral rules-based international order and is a threat to all countries, not just to Europe.

As long as Russia continues to wage a war of aggression against Ukraine, we are prepared to impose further measures, including additional economic and individual sanctions. Decisions on sanctions require discussion and adoption by the Council, and Member States take these decisions by unanimity, as you know.

The Commission analyses the flow of agri-food products into the European Union, notably those from Russia, and assesses what the impact from those flows are: for our own agricultural market and for our farmers, and for the wider issue of global food security.

In particular, we have taken great care at every stage to ensure that such flow[s] do not lead to adverse market impact for our farmers and agri-food producers.

In this context, we will continue to assess what further action could and should be taken as and when necessary.

Thank you.

Link to video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-254478

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