Restrictions imposed by five European Union (EU) countries on Ukrainian grain imports to protect their farmers could be extended until September 15, the European Commission said on Monday, despite Kiev’s objections.
Faced with a flood of Ukrainian grain that overwhelms elevators and affects prices in Eastern Europe, Brussels reached an agreement at the end of April with five EU countries – Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia – which allows until June 5, these states block the sale of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower in their territory, as long as they do not interfere with transit to other countries.
In a statement, the European Commission announced the extension of the veto and explained that the EU will gradually lift preventive, exceptional and temporary measures until 15 September.
The Commission also hopes that the five Member States “do not maintain any restrictive measures” after September 15, arguing that now “they are still needed” given the “exceptional circumstances of serious logistical bottlenecks and limited storage of cereals” in these countries. .
The gradual abolition of “temporary and specific” measures over the coming months will help “solve the problems of exporting Ukrainian cereals from the country,” the executive authority stressed.
The veto means that Ukrainian grains can move through Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia for sale in other member states or in a country or territory outside the EU, but are not sold in these countries.
As agreed this Monday, a joint platform has been set up to coordinate the efforts of the Commission and the five countries, as well as Ukraine, to improve trade flows between the latter country and the EU, including the transit of agricultural products along the so-called “solidarity corridors” to facilitate exports.
The European Commission also stressed that the suspension of import tariffs, quotas and trade protection measures on Ukrainian exports to the EU, known as Autonomous Trade Measures, is in effect for another year.
“This strong indication of the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine will help alleviate the difficult situation Ukrainian producers and exporters find themselves in due to Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked military aggression,” Brussels added.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to lift restrictions on the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
Earlier, European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski spoke in favor of extending until the end of the year, or at least until October, the veto on the import of Ukrainian grain, which is in force in five member states.
According to the data presented by the Polish Commissioner, imports of agricultural products from Ukraine to the EU increased from 7 billion euros in 2021 to more than 13 billion in 2022, and that “more than 80% of this increase came from those five countries” that now enjoy a temporary veto.
“Liberalization [das importações] this is EU support for Ukraine, but producers in these countries pay the price of this support,” the commissioner explained, adding that the opening of the European market for Ukrainian cereals was a “shock” for the markets of these countries.
For this reason, Brussels provided these countries with 100 million euros from the crisis reserve, which, however, remain blocked, as Hungary continues to block Ukrainian products from passing through its territory.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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