Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has disrupted pre-existing supply chains. The EU is providing support to Ukraine to resume normal flow of grain and other goods, especially through the Solidarity Lanes, and to ensure that exports of grain can reach their destination, including in particular in third markets, to support global food security.

The Commission is committed to supporting Ukraine while also preserving the interest of the EU grain producers and ensuring a proper functioning of the grain market in the EU.

Given the importance of grain production and grain markets, the Commission will pay particular attention to the monitoring of imports of grain, in particular wheat, and notably to the concentration of such imports in Member States neighbouring Ukraine. In its regular dialogue with Ukraine, the Commission will address any issues brought to light by the monitoring. The Commission recalls that imports from Ukraine can be subject to surveillance under Chapter IV of Regulation (EU) 2015/478 of the European Parliament and the Council of 11 March 2015 on common rules for imports, which can take the form of import licensing, if the trend in imports threatens to cause injury to Union producers and if the interests of the Union so require. In this regard, the Commission will use the tools at its disposal as needed. The Commission will continue to report regularly to Member States on the results of the regular dialogue with Ukraine.

For products covered by ATMs, the Commission recalls that the Regulation also provides for a reinforced safeguard mechanism. For the first time, the Commission has introduced the possibility and is ready to activate this mechanism in the event of adverse effects on the market of one or several Member States and not only for the EU market as a whole. In this regard, the Commission will use to the full extent its powers to initiate ex officio the reinforced safeguard mechanism for imports of wheat from Ukraine.

The Commission recalls that, in 2022 and 2023, it adopted measures to support European farmers in all Member States, notably in the Member States neighbouring Ukraine.