The Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament is holding an urgent meeting on Monday to discuss the consequences of the Russian war in Ukraine. This topic has been added to a meeting that was already scheduled for a hearing on European forestry.
Following this, an emergency session of the European Parliament will be held in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Ukraine and Russia are not only two of Europe's largest food exporters, but also major suppliers of energy (gas and oil) and agricultural raw materials (fertilizers) to EU countries. It is expected that purchasing prices, which have already risen sharply in recent months, will increase even further.
The highest official of the agriculture commission in Brussels will attempt to update the Agriculture Committee on the current situation, but is expected to provide few concrete details. This is mainly because European government leaders are still discussing additional sanctions against President Putin's regime. The ministers will meet again on Monday.
On Wednesday (March 2), the European Commission is scheduled to provide a new overview of the increased raw material costs of recent months. This will now take on a very different perspective.
A leaked document reportedly shows that the Commission is urging the buildup of larger (winter) gas reserves in EU countries, joint purchasing, and accelerated development of new European energy sources. This also includes extracting biogas from manure.
On Tuesday, the full European Parliament will convene to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. MEP Peter van Dalen (Christian Union) said: “This is a barbaric invasion that seriously threatens world peace. It is with the utmost horror that I condemn this attack by the Russian dictator.” According to Van Dalen, Russia must be dealt with firmly: “It is now necessary that the European Union and its allies impose all possible sanctions to the maximum.”
The sanctions announced so far against Russia mainly affect the transport sector, technology, energy, and the foreign bank accounts of high-ranking Putin allies. These are in addition to the export sanctions that have been in place for years in response to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Nevertheless, the Netherlands reportedly still exports hundreds of millions annually. Dairy, meat, and fruit are already subject to the Russian boycott, but flowers are still exported to Russia in large volumes.
According to unconfirmed reports, a decision will be taken on Monday to exclude Russia from the global SWIFT banking system. Several EU countries opposed this last week because such a sanction would have significant consequences for EU countries and the rest of the world. Without SWIFT, payments to Russia for export products such as gas and oil can no longer be processed, and EU countries will need to immediately seek alternative gas suppliers.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week that the EU must reduce its dependence on Russian gas and accelerate the implementation of the Green Deal. Investing in domestic renewable EU energy has become a strategic necessity, Von der Leyen said. Until now, the Green Deal, including agricultural restructuring, has primarily been a climate issue.
If Russia turns off the gas flow following tougher EU sanctions, the EU will still manage, according to Von der Leyen. The Russian state company Gazprom is no longer a reliable partner for the EU. The European Commission president pointed to the possibility of increased imports of liquefied gas.
French President Emmanuel Macron has prepared French farmers for the impact of the war in Ukraine on their work. “What we are currently experiencing will not be without consequences for the agricultural world,” he said Saturday at a fair in Paris. Macron emphasized that long-term preparedness is required. His conviction is: “This war will go on.”