The European Union should revise the customs policy on the import of construction materials from outside associate States, including the east countries, say the participants of the EU economical safety Conference. The Community presently imposes more and more restrictions on European producers by failing to revise customs policy, which translates into a systematic weakening of business competitiveness, a decline in production and a threat to jobs.
Particularly alarming is the dynamic increase in imports of construction materials from the East in sectors specified as asphalt. According to the latest study from 2025 "The marketplace of construction materials needs to be changed", developed by the SPP based on PMR agency data, during the evidence period imports from Russia to Poland accounted for over 75% of all imports of asphalt products in rolls and over 50% of imports of asphalt products another than in rolls.
The current situation is the consequence of imbalances in the conduct of EU trade and environmental policy. European producers, including Polish producers, must meet the changing EU regulations and compete with producers who do not have akin restrictions. deficiency of protection of the European marketplace against import, wage force and rising labour costs negatively affect the price attractiveness of Polish products in Western markets, among others.
According to experts, geopolitical uncertainty is 1 of the biggest challenges facing the construction materials industry.
– Uncertainty in the Polish market, in general geopolitical uncertainty is, I think, the biggest challenge. At present, our manufacture is protected by sanctions against aggressive imports from the Russian Federation. Before sanctions, we had absolutely a customs imbalance, we had a zero rate for imports from the Russian Federation and a 12-percent. rate of export to the Russian Federation — Says Newseria Konrad Machula, president of the Pap Producers Association.
At the end of June, the Association of Employers of Materials Manufacturers for Construction will hold a gathering in Brussels with MEPs and representatives of the European Commission, during which discussions on European customs policy will continue.
President of the Association of Producers Pap points out that customs imbalance created conditions in which the Russian Federation penetrated the Polish marketplace almost without restriction. In addition, it has legally supported business and improvement of exports to the European Union. Russian producers of natural materials for production had to supply them with a discount of up to 20 percent, which resulted from the Act. According to the expert, this has led to dumping and, at the same time, expresses concern about the consequences of the removal of sanctions.
– A situation was created that met all aspects of the definition of dumping and, of course, competition on specified a basis was disproportionate. The aggressive policy of players from the Russian Federation caused them to gain 1/5 of the Polish marketplace and position number 1 on it in a very short time – This is Konrad Machula. – We are very worried about what will happen after the end, after the expiry of the sanctions, or after the exclusion of the sanctions that apply present – adds.
The expert explains that Russia does not conduct commercial activities in Poland at this point, which is governed by sanctions – Building materials are listed on the eighth sanction list. At any point, however, they may cease to apply, as Donald Trump already mentions. This could consequence in an active return of Russian producers to the European market, as well as their aggressive pricing policy and expansion.
– We think that Donald Trump is already saying that sanctions should be abolished, so we are afraid that at any point they will cease to be and this situation will origin Russian players to already know how to operate in the European market, so they will be coming back to that marketplace very intensively. We are besides afraid that if nothing changes, we inactive have an open door to a very aggressive pricing policy and expansion of players from the Russian Federation – The president of the Pap Producers Association beats the alarm.
The share of imports from Russia and Belarus increased rapidly before the imposition of sanctions, resulting from the usage and subsidy of cheaper natural materials. This situation was peculiarly noticeable in the bituminous papacy sector.
– The marketplace share of imports from Russia and Belarus grew very quickly, due to the fact that these are besides cheaper natural materials, but besides subsidised and only sanctions changed the situation and it can be said that this manufacture even survived thanks to this – emphasised Szymon Firlag, president of the Association of Employers – Building Materials Manufacturers.
Representatives of the building materials manufacture in their message following the EU economical safety Conference note that products imported from east countries are not only subsidised to varying degrees by the state, but are actually produced by companies belonging to sanctioned countries. The European Union, besides during the Polish Presidency, introduced a package of sanctions against Russia and Belarus related to Ukraine's aggression.
"The European Union has consistently imposed sanctions against Russia and Belarus in consequence to Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. During the Polish Presidency, a 16th package of sanctions was passed, and present we are working together with the Polish Presidency on the 17th package, hoping that it will be passed by the end of June – explains Katarzyna Smyk, manager of the European Commission Representation in Poland.
At the same time, it stresses that imposing sanctions is not adequate – they must be observed and sealed. associate States are liable for their enforcement, and it encourages discussions with national authorities. It points out that the European Commission is holding meetings with representatives of associate States on sanctions in order to exchange experience.
"We regularly hold meetings of representatives of the associate States on sanctions to exchange experience in order to fight the process of circumventing sanctions effectively" explains Katarzyna Smyk.
The manager besides points out that the penalties to date are effective.
"The sanctions of the European Union and G7 partners have deprived Russia of EUR 400 billion, which could have been utilized to finance the Russian war machine. The sanctions are painful and work, but we gotta put constant effort into making them effective – enumerates.
In fresh days, the conference “EU economical Security” was held at the National PGE in Warsaw. It was attended by representatives of business, industry, public administration as well as European institutions. The main themes were the strategical economical objectives of the European Union, customs policy, public procurement and Clean Industrial Deal, as well as the economical priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council. Its participants expressed their deep concern about the current situation of the European construction materials marketplace and the risks to the economical safety of the European Union.
Conference participants made demands to make solutions that would guarantee a balance between openness to global trade and the protection of the European Union's strategical economical interests. This includes the request to reconstruct customs balance by introducing adequate customs duties on non-EU imports, which will at least align them with those imposed on EU products exported to 3rd countries. The demands besides concern the introduction of safeguard duties on non-EU building materials which are crucial to the Union's economy or the acceleration of the full implementation of the border price adjustment mechanics including CO2 emissions (CBAM) and its extension to all high-emission building materials.
For: newseria.pl
