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After an extraordinary summit on Ukraine, the EU has voted unanimously for a €50 billion support package for Ukraine over the next four years. “It was a great result. If we look to the expectations, we were not even sure to reach [it] because of the possible veto from Hungary,” the European Commissioner for Economy told FRANCE 24. Paolo Gentiloni added: “It is also a strong message for our partners in the US, because they are also discussing how to continue their support to Ukraine and the fact that the EU took this decision will help, I hope, all other partners to do their part of this international support.” He concluded: “At the end of the day, the European Union is stronger than its own divisions.”
Asked about the farmers’ protests across Europe, which blocked roads leading to the Brussels summit, Gentiloni responded: “We have to understand the reasons of the malaise among farmers”. He cited the rise in energy prices, the tense relationship between agriculture and large retailers over prices, plus concern over imports from Ukraine.
Asked about the planned EU-Mercosur free trade deal with South America, the Commissioner conceded that “we can’t conclude negotiations that are seriously damaging sectors of our economy.” However, he said that experience shows that free trade agreements are in the interest of the EU economy, citing the example of the CETA free trade deal. “We can’t go to protectionism,” he insisted.
Another concern for farmers is the EU’s Green Deal and the environmental norms that go with it. But Gentiloni insisted that farming must take account of the green transition. “Agriculture has to do its own part in the green transformation with flexibility, graduality and common sense. But excluding one sector from the green transformation is not possible and is unfair.”
Programme produced by Sophie Samaille, Agnès Le Cossec, Perrine Desplats and Isabelle Romero
