EU sets new plan to help export of Ukrainian food products

BRUSSELS

The European Commission set out on Thursday an action plan to help Ukraine export its agricultural goods by using EU infrastructure to curb the Russian blockade at Black Sea ports.

The EU executive body suggested establishing so-called “solidarity lanes” for humanitarian aid and to ensure that Ukraine can export grain and import essential goods.

“It is essential to coordinate and optimize the logistic chains, put in place new routes, and avoid, as much as possible, the bottlenecks,” EU Commissioner for transport Adina Valean said, presenting the action plan.

She stressed that the bloc and Ukraine are facing a “gigantesque challenge” because over 20 million tons of grains have to be transported in three months.

Valean explained that there are several infrastructural challenges, such as the incompatibility of Ukrainian train wagons to the European rail network that demands the goods to be loaded to trucks or new wagons.

With the action plan, the European Commission urges EU market actors to make additional vehicles available and sets up coordination points together with EU member states to match demand and offer.

The EU executive body also asks EU governments to cut the red tape with customs and other inspections, and assess their storage capacities to temporarily store Ukrainian goods.

The body will also support mid- and long-term projects improving road and rail connectivity between the EU and Ukraine.

Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of corn, wheat, and sunflower oil, and an important provider of humanitarian food supplies as well.

Russia’s blockade at the Black Sea port has grown global food uncertainty and contributed to rising prices all over the world since 90% of Ukraine’s grain and oilseeds export were transported by ships before the war that Russia launched on Feb. 24.