Already on Friday, September 15, the European Commission’s ban on the import of Ukrainian grain into five EU countries expires. And Ukraine expects that the restrictions will be lifted.
This is stated in the commentary of the speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleg Nikolenko.
The Foreign Ministry emphasizes that there is no reason to extend the blocking of imports. The department cited five key reasons to confirm this:
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1.Ukraine and the EU worked out the warnings of individual countries within the framework of a joint coordination platform. It was decided to increase the capacity of the Danube corridor, transfer sanitary control from the border to the countries of destination of Ukrainian agricultural products, and monitor crops and trade flows at the border.
Alternative transport corridors to the Baltic, Adriatic and Aegean seas were formed. The plans include the construction of new grain storage facilities in the EU and the introduction of joint customs control.
2.The export of grain from Ukraine is not a cause of destabilization in the European market. The ministry noted that, despite the long absence of imports of Ukrainian products, “the problems of farmers in Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Hungary have not been resolved.”
– It is necessary that, first of all, their governments find national solutions, and certainly not at the expense of restrictions for Ukraine. For this, Brussels has a number of support tools, — reminded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. Bulgaria supported the resumption of imports of Ukrainian grains. As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted, this “confirms the groundlessness of unilateral restrictive measures.”
4. Ukraine’s competitor in world grain markets is the aggressor country Russia. Therefore, the artificial blocking of Ukrainian imports “plays into the hands of the Russian Federation.”
– There are no prohibitions for it on the EU market. Reduced supplies of Ukrainian grain means Russia's opportunity to earn more money for the war against Ukraine, — emphasized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
5. The ban on grain imports from Ukraine violates the Association Agreement with the European Union, as well as the principles and norms of the EU Single Market.
As you know, in early May the European Commission banned the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds of Ukrainian origin into five EU countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The decision is valid until September 15, 2023.
The Polish authorities have already stated that they will not resume imports of Ukrainian grain, regardless of what the decision of official Brussels is.
At the same time, Bulgaria supported the resumption of imports of agricultural products from Ukraine after September 15.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine warned that if Poland blocks exports, our state will apply to the arbitration of the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding compensation for losses.
