On Thursday, the European Union will hold elections to the European Parliament (EP), which will last until June 9.
The Netherlands will hold elections on June 6. Ireland – on June 7. Latvia, Malta, and Slovakia – on June 8. The Czech Republic will vote on two days: June 7 and 8, and Italy – June 8 and 9. The rest of the EU states are holding elections on June 9.
More than 370 million European citizens are eligible to vote in 27 EU countries to elect 720 members of the European Parliament.
These elections are held in one round and are intended to determine the national contingents of representatives – members of the European Parliament. Voting is conducted on full lists of candidates nominated by political parties or coalitions. Lists that do not receive 5% of the votes do not get into the EP.
The first estimates of the new composition of the European Parliament will be published on June 9 around 20:15-20:30 Brussels time (21:15-21:30 Kyiv time). The preliminary results are expected between 23:15 and 23:30 (00:15 and 00:30 CET, June 10).
The EP plenary session is scheduled for July 16-19 in Strasbourg. The elected MEPs will gather to structure political factions, elect the leadership of the European Parliament and distribute other organizational posts.
After that, the leaders of the EU countries and the European Parliament will elect the President of the European Commission (EC) and form the EC Executive Board – 27 European Commissioners.
In order to be elected as the head of the EC, a candidate must first receive the support of a qualified majority of the leaders of the 27 EU countries. After that, he or she must receive at least 361 votes from the 720 new members of the European Parliament.
The current head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has already announced her desire to run for a second presidency. In early March, the center-right European People’s Party, which has the largest faction in the European Parliament, approved her candidacy for a second term as head of the European Commission during the Congress.
Earlier, Experts Club presented an analytical material on the most important elections in the world in 2024, more detailed video analysis is available here – https://youtu.be/73DB0GbJy4M?si=eGb95W02MgF6KzXU
You can subscribe to the Experts Club YouTube channel here – https://www.youtube.com/@ExpertsClub
The Ukrainian government has introduced a quota for exports of poultry and poultry by-products to the EU in the amount of about 137,000 tons starting July 1.
According to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 612 of May 30, published on the government portal, the quota for the supply of poultry meat and edible offal to the EU, including chickens, geese, ducks, guinea fowl (UKTZED code 0207), is set at 133.28 thousand tons, and turkey meat and edible offal (UKTZED code 0207 24-27) at 3.76 thousand tons.
The Ministry of Economy will consider applications for licenses to export these goods to the EU within 10 days. Permits will be issued on the basis of applications and approvals provided by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy.
For the period of martial law, applicants shall prepare and submit documents electronically through the relevant information and communication systems (the Ministry of Economy’s electronic services portal, the Unified State Web Portal of Electronic Services).
The licensing regime for the export of quota goods to the EU is also mandatory if the non-resident counterparty is registered in the EU under a foreign economic agreement (contract).
At the same time, the volume of quotas approved for the commodity item “Meat and edible offal of poultry: poultry chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl”, excluding the reserve quota of 1400 tons for new exporters, and for the commodity “Turkey meat and edible offal of turkeys” is distributed by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy among exporters in proportion to the actual volume of their exports to the EU in the first quarter of 2024. Information on the actual export volumes of these products for the first quarter of 2024 must be provided by exporters to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy with supporting documents by June 25, 2024.
The reserve quota of 1400 tons will be distributed among exporters who did not export these products in the first quarter of 2024.
If there is an unused balance of the quota as of November 1, 2024, it is distributed among exporters in proportion to the actual exports of these products to the Member States of the European Union for the three quarters of 2024.
As reported, on May 13, the EU Council finally approved the extension of the autonomous trade measures for another 12 months – until June 5, 2025. At the same time, restrictions have been imposed on the duty-free supply of a number of agricultural products – poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, cereals, corn and honey – in the amount of the average export volume for the period from the second half of 2021 to the end of 2023.
Ukraine increased its exports of granulated slag to the EU in 2023 to 367 thousand tons, up 53% compared to 2022, of which 324.5 thousand tons (+47.5% compared to 2022) were supplied by Recycling Solutions, the company’s press service reports.
“We have managed to attract new customers and expand our sales market, despite the fact that the European construction sector is going through a crisis. Europe lacks its own similar raw materials, and Ukraine can meet the demand of European manufacturers. For us, this is an opportunity to support the national economy and ensure the inflow of foreign currency into the country,” Vadym Khoroshko, Director of the Construction Admixtures Department, explained in a press release.
According to the published data, the total volume of granulated slag imports to the EU countries in 2023 amounted to 3.35 million tons. The leading suppliers are Japan (1.2 million tons), China (0.7 million tons), Turkey (0.7 million tons) and Ukraine. The main consumers of this product are cement plants, which are currently operating unstably due to lower demand. The European construction market and road construction have slowed down significantly. On the other hand, the launch of the Carbon Based Import Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in October 2023 is having a positive impact on the waste and by-products market. In the spring, a new cement production season begins, in which Recycling Solutions expects demand to remain at the level of 2023, the press release said.
It is reported that in 2023, 44% of construction admixtures sold by Recycling Solutions were exported. The largest volumes were purchased by customers from Poland and Slovakia. In addition to slag, last fall the company was the first Ukrainian producer to export 1380 tons of dry ash.
The company also notes an increase in sales in the domestic market, explaining that demand for construction admixtures is driven by reconstruction projects and the emergence of small tenders for road resurfacing. In particular, last year Recycling Solutions shipped 407.2 thousand tons of granulated slag to Ukrainian customers, which is 69% more than last year. The company also sold 363.3 thousand tons of dump slag used for road construction and emergency repairs, and shipped 282 thousand tons of other ash and slag materials, 30% more than in 2022.
In addition, last year Recycling Solutions launched an aluminosilicate microsphere production plant in Burshtyn, Ivano-Frankivsk region. The company operates on equipment evacuated in 2022 from Druzhkivka (Donetsk region), which was located in close proximity to the front line. Investments in the project amounted to $313 thousand. The launch of production made it possible to ship 521 tons of microspheres in 2023.
Recycling Solutions was founded in 2012 and is part of Rinat Akhmetov’s umgi investment company. It provides strategic by-product and waste management services. Currently, it is an integrated operator of secondary resources management for the coal, metallurgical, heat and power, and agricultural sectors of Ukraine. The company’s activities include processing and sale of ash and slag materials, metallurgical slag, rare and industrial gases, ammonium sulphate, livestock by-products, and production of heat and electricity from coal mine methane.
umgi founded SCM in 2006 to manage assets in the raw materials sector. Later, it expanded its range of activities and changed its business model from management to investment. The total market value of its portfolio companies exceeds $500 million.
In 2023, the countries of the European Union imported 163.7 thousand tons of honey for a total of EUR359.3 million, according to the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat).
Exports of honey from the EU countries amounted to only 24.9 thousand tons worth EUR146 million.
Over 10 years, since 2013, imports have increased by 20%, exports – by 14%.
Last year, the main suppliers of honey to the EU were China (60.2 thousand tons, or 37% of all foreign supplies), Ukraine (45.8 thousand tons, 28%), Argentina (20.4 thousand tons, 12%), Mexico (10.7 thousand tons, 7%) and Cuba (4.7 thousand tons, 3%).
The UK became the main importer of honey from the European Union – 4.3 thousand tons. Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United States imported more than 3 thousand tons.
The largest buyer of foreign honey among the EU countries was Germany, which imported 41 thousand tons in 2023. Belgium took the second place (31.4 thousand tons), and Poland was the third (23.3 thousand tons). Spain was the leading exporter (7.1 thou tons).
Ukraine in 2023 supplied the European Union market with 45.8 thousand tons of honey, which was the second result and accounted for 28% of all imports of this product by the Commonwealth countries, Eurostat reports.
According to the report, the largest supplier of honey in 2023 was China with 60.2 thousand tons and 37% of the market share, the third place belonged to Argentina with 20.4 thousand tons (12%), the fourth – Mexico with 10.7 thousand tons (7%), the fifth – Cuba with 4.7 thousand tons (3%).
The largest importer of honey in 2023 was Germany, which imported 41 thousand tons of honey from outside the EU, accounting for 25% of all EU imports. Belgium was the second largest importer with 31.4 thousand tons (19%), followed by Poland with 23.3 thousand tons (14%), Spain with 15.7 thousand tons (10%) and France with 7.7 thousand tons (5%).
In total, EU members imported 163.7 thousand tons of natural honey from non-EU countries in 2023, worth EUR359.3 million. At the same time, EU member states exported 24.9 thousand tons worth EUR146.0 million.
The UK was the leading buyer of honey produced in the EU in 2023 with 4.3 thousand tons (17% of all non-EU honey exports). This was followed by Saudi Arabia with 3.5 thousand tons (14%), Switzerland with 3.4 thousand tons (13%), USA with 3.3 thousand tons (13%) and Japan with 2.5 thousand tons (10%).
Spain was the largest exporter. It sent 7.1 thousand tons of honey to countries outside the EU, which amounted to (29% of all exports of this product from the EU). It is followed by Germany with 5.5 thousand tons (22% of all exports), Romania with 1.7 thousand tons (7%), Hungary with 1.6 thousand tons (6%) and Greece with 1.5 thousand tons (6%).
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20240520-1
The National Association Ukrtsukor has asked the Cabinet of Ministers to urgently establish a zero quota on sugar exports to the European Union for 2024 due to the achievement of the maximum volume stipulated by the EU decision for the export of Ukrainian sugar to these countries in 2024, the association reported on Facebook.
“In fact, we are talking about initiating the closure of Ukraine’s border for sugar exports to the EU as soon as possible due to the fact that sugar exports have already reached 262.6 thousand tons, defined as Ukraine’s quota for 2024,” the statement said.
“Ukrtsukor believes that such an appeal is a confirmation of the constructive position of Ukrainian sugar producers and their readiness to integrate into the European sugar market and meet its requirements.
The business association reminded that on May 13, 2024, the Council of the European Union approved the extension of temporary trade liberalization measures for Ukraine for another year, until June 5, 2025. At the same time, it provided for the application of an emergency braking mechanism for particularly sensitive agricultural products, in particular sugar, if imports of these products in 2024 exceed the average imports recorded in the second half of 2021 and throughout 2022 and 2023. Similar emergency braking measures may be applied in 2025 if, in the period from January 1, 2025 to June 5, 2025, the volume of Ukrainian exports exceeds 5/12 of the quota set for 2024.
