In March, the European Commission proposed imposing higher tariffs on imports of Russian grain, but more and more EU countries believe imports should be stopped altogether. Earlier it was reported that five European countries had proposed to the European Union to ban the import of grain from Russia and Belarus.
According to estimates, imports of Russian wheat into the EU alone doubled to 700,000 tons in the 2023/2024 season. Food and fertilizers have so far been exempt from EU trade sanctions against Russia in order not to disrupt global food security.
Imposing higher import tariffs on Russian grain is not enough, Stegemann emphasized.
With this proposal, the CDU is addressing two of its priorities simultaneously. On the one hand, an import ban reflects a tough stance towards Russia, as the Christian Democrats claim the SPD has had too close ties with Putin in the past and has not done enough to support Ukraine. On the other hand, the CDU directs its message toward supporting German farmers.
The CDU, polling at 31% of predicted votes, is closing in on the three-party coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and Liberals (FDP), which together stand at 33%. This trend has led CDU leader Friedrich Merz in recent weeks to repeatedly call for early elections.
It is unclear whether a unilateral import ban, as proposed by the CDU, would be in line with EU rules in the eyes of the European Commission. Although Brussels previously labeled such trade restrictions as illegal, it decided in February to open an investigation against Latvia, which has refused such imports since February.
"We in Germany and Europe are not dependent on Russian grain," Stegemann stressed. The CDU motion calls on the German government to prepare the possibility of an import ban if no agreement can be reached at the EU level.