Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the “cruel, if not brutal, protectionist measures”.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, confirmed on Tuesday that it is necessary to extend the restrictions imposed by five European Union countries on the import of Ukrainian grain until “at least” until the end of October, despite the opposition of Kiev and the resistance of a number of bloc countries.
While the tariff hike in May 2022 boosted the flow of Ukrainian agricultural products into the European Union, neighboring countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria) unilaterally blocked grain imports from Ukraine in mid-April due to the fullness of their silos and the collapse of domestic prices.
The European Commission, in charge of the trade policy of the European Union, reached an agreement with these four countries and Romania at the end of April that provides for “rescue measures” until June 5 to allow it not to market wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds on its territory, provided that it does not prevent the crossing of these grain to other countries.
grain surplus
“It is necessary to extend these restrictions at least until the end of October, and preferably until the end of the year, after the harvest season, otherwise we will have a big problem,” Wojciechowski told AFP after a meeting of EU agricultural ministers. But he made it clear that the commission had not made up its mind.
“The problem is that there is now more grain in stocks in neighboring countries than in Ukraine. We must extend temporary import restrictions to improve the situation,” he added, calling for tighter logistics to relieve pressure on grain depots.
Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky, who is in Brussels on Tuesday, denounced the restrictions. He said, “We believe that extending it is not the appropriate path, we oppose it,” considering that this would be in the interest of Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the “cruel, if not brutal, protectionist measures”.
Twelve EU countries, including France and Germany, expressed “serious concerns” in mid-May about this “differential treatment within the internal market” and called for “additional discussions” about a €100m aid proposed by Brussels for farmers. in the five affected countries.
Wojciechowski said, “I hope that I have convinced member states that this aid is deserved, that the criteria chosen are fair, and I hope that there are no obstacles to voting on this aid and that it is transferred as soon as possible to farmers.”
French Minister Marc Visnot warned on Tuesday that in the face of the difficulties faced by Ukraine’s neighboring countries, “we need collective responses, not individual ones, otherwise we open the door to something that harms the spirit of European construction.”
