“The various unreasonable requirements of the Green Deal must be withdrawn. The European Commission must understand the protesting farmers”, said Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski during a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH).

Minister Czeslaw Siekierski said that talks were being held with the farmers. He said that farmers are demanding fundamental changes and even a retreat from the Green Deal, which they consider unreasonable. They believe that the excessive influx of goods from outside the Union, including from Ukraine, into the European market is undermining their competitiveness.

He called on EU agriculture ministers to act immediately. “The situation is difficult for farmers and we need to give a clear signal that the essential, concrete simplifications awaited by farmers will be introduced”, stressed Minister Czesław Siekierski.

“The problem that is not being talked about is the surplus of grain in the European Union. The European Commission must take action to reduce grain stocks. I think this is possible. It would be enough to support exports – humanitarian aid to those regions of the world where Russia has entered. This would also serve the purpose of regaining by Europe and Ukraine the markets taken by Russia”, the head of the Polish ministry of agriculture added at the end of his speech.

The issue of surplus grain in the EU was also raised by Minister Czesław Siekierski during the press conference after the AGRIFISH meeting.

“At the end of June, grain stocks in Europe will total some 28 million tonnes, with Poland having 9 million tonnes. We produce about 35-36 million tonnes of grain, so we will have 25 % of grain in stock. This grain must be managed in some way, to ensure free warehouses, free granaries. The question is: how? The EU should take measures to support the sale of European and partly Ukrainian grain”, Siekierski said. 

Adrian Andrzejewski