Poland wants to reach a bilateral agreement with Ukraine, replace the national embargo on grain crops and protect its own market from other products. Among them — sugar, poultry, eggs, frozen raspberries, apple juice, sunflower and rapeseed oil.
This was stated by Polish Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Sekierski during parliamentary hearings in the Sejm on February 22.
Poland position
According to the minister, the Polish government wants to introduce significant restrictions on the entry of “sensitive” goods from Ukraine, including detailed and even restrictive controls at the border.
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In his opinion, farmers are rightly expressing opposition to the situation in which Polish agriculture finds itself.
He named the main reasons for the protests — unreasonable demands of the European Commission's green course, excessive supply of agricultural products from Ukraine to the Polish market, falling profitability of agricultural production.
Sekierski argues that the European Commission must understand the protesting farmers and realize that there must be just changes. According to the Polish minister, ideas should be rational and prepared in cooperation with farmers.
Protests in Poland and border blockade
At the beginning of February, protests broke out in Poland by farmers who oppose the import of Ukrainian agricultural products, the reduction of European subsidies for local agriculture and the Green Deal of the European Commission.
Two days ago, during the farmers' strike in Poland, an incident occurred near the Medyka checkpoint — Shegini. Polish protesters opened a transport with grain that was heading to Germany and poured everything onto the ground.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky called on Polish President Andrzej Duda to hold a meeting of governments at the border to resolve the situation. In response, the head of the Polish state confirmed that the border needs to be unblocked.
