Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 5 September 2014

Council examines impact of Russian ban on imports of EU agricultural products

During an extraordinary meeting at the Council on 5 September, EU agriculture ministers debated the Russian ban on imports of EU agricultural products, which includes meat, fish, dairy products, fruit and vegetables.

Ministers met to evaluate the impact and implications of the Russian ban on imports of EU agricultural products.

The Russian ban, which will last for a year, has been in place since 6 August. It affects a range of products including meat, fish and shellfish, milk and dairy products, fruit, vegetables, sausages and food or finished products.

The Council's debate focused on medium and long-term measures such as finding new markets for those products affected by the ban. Ministers confirmed the need for a coordinated, unanimous reply at EU level to tackle the negative effects of the Russian ban. Many member states called for an enlargement of emergency measures already implemented by the Commission with use of a broader range of tools. Member states also highlighted the fact that there may be a need for well-targeted compensation measures for some of the producers most affected by the ban.

The Commission has already put into place a number of measures to try to limit the negative effects of the Russian ban. Emergency support measures are now in use for peaches and nectarines, and for perishable fruit and vegetable products on the EU market. Emergency market support measures for certain dairy products have also been agreed.