Bulgarian Deputy Minister Urges EU to Implement Safeguards to Protect European Rice Producers

The International Rice Festival 'Riso' held in Vercelli, Italy brought together agriculture ministers from eight EU member states to discuss the challenges facing European rice producers. Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Yanislav Yanchev participated in the high-level panel discussion, highlighting the need for effective protection mechanisms to counter unfair competition from third-country imports. He emphasized that European rice farmers face significant pressure from imports from non-EU countries such as Myanmar and China, and that automatic safeguard mechanisms are necessary to preserve their competitiveness.

Key Takeaways:

• Bulgarian Deputy Minister Yanislav Yanchev emphasized the urgency of implementing effective protection mechanisms for European rice producers facing unfair competition from third-country imports.
• Bulgaria is a net exporter of rice, with primary markets in the Balkan countries, including Trkiye and Romania, but faces pressure from rising imports from non-EU countries such as Myanmar and China.
• European rice farmers face higher production costs due to strict environmental, social, and health regulations, while imported rice is often produced under looser conditions.
• Yanchev stressed that automatic safeguard mechanisms must become standard in all EU trade agreements to preserve the competitiveness of European farmers and uphold high standards.
• A 'EURice' alliance among EU rice-producing countries is proposed to strengthen the global position of European rice through cooperation and coordinated action.
• The alliance aims to create opportunities for international market access and support new EU-led initiatives to protect and expand rice exports.

Statistics:

• 8 EU member states are represented at the International Rice Festival 'Riso'.
• 2 countries, Trkiye and Romania, are among Bulgaria's primary rice export markets.
• 2 non-EU countries, Myanmar and China, are major sources of imported rice pressure on EU prices.
• European rice farmers face production costs 2-3 times higher than those in third countries.

Sources:

• Bulgarian Agriculture Ministry, October 20, report on Deputy Minister Yanchev's participation in the International Rice Festival 'Riso'.