Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture: EU trade deals with Ukraine putting consumers, producers at risk

The Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) has called for a review of European Union regulations on the import of agricultural produce, saying that imported goods should be held to the same standards as those grown in the bloc.

Noting a recent salmonella outbreak linked to infected Ukrainian chicken in the EU and UK markets which caused “dozens of sicknesses and one death”, NAK said the EU “expects its own producers to comply with the most stringent food-safety regulations but allows infected Ukrainian chicken unfettered access” to EU markets.

The case showed that fundamental change was needed in European agricultural policy, the statement said.

The trade deals with Ukraine “are now putting consumers as well as producers at risk”, NAK said, adding that they posed an economic and food-safety risk.

Despite this, the EC recently extended exemptions to duty on Ukrainian produce, the statement added.

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