Speaking in Brussels on Monday, Krajewski described beef and lamb as the products most exposed to the European Union’s trade deal with Australia.
“Beef and lamb are the most sensitive products,” Krajewski told reporters before a meeting of EU agriculture ministers.
He said Poland was in talks to ensure the agreement includes protective clauses for beef producers.
“This is one of the proposals we have been putting to the European Commission for a long time,” he said.
Krajewski said cattle purchase prices were currently high, but warned that new trade agreements could change that.
“We must prevent that,” he said.
He added that the EU should also discuss compensation funds for possible losses suffered by Polish or other European farmers.
The EU and Australia concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement last Tuesday and also struck a security partnership. The trade deal is intended to improve EU access to Australia’s critical raw materials, which the bloc needs for its energy transition.
According to the European Commission, the preliminary agreement will remove 99 percent of tariffs on EU exports to Australia, generating savings of nearly EUR 1 billion a year.
It will also open the Australian market further to EU financial and telecommunications services.
The deal would eliminate tariffs on major EU farm exports to Australia, including cheese, processed meat, wine, some fruits and vegetables, chocolate and confectionery products.
At the same time, the EU market would open to Australian products.
The Commission said sensitive products such as beef, sheep and goat meat, sugar, some dairy products and rice would be allowed into the bloc at zero or reduced tariffs in limited quantities.
It also announced a safeguard clause to protect European agriculture if Australian imports disrupt EU markets.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP