The European Commission has suspended imports of four types of Ukrainianagricultural products to five EU countries, according to a May 2 press release.
The measure entered into force on May 2 and will last until June 5, 2023.
It is deemed necessary given the exceptional circumstances of serious logistical bottlenecks experienced in five member states – Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
It concerns only four agricultural products – wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds – originating in Ukraine, and it aims to alleviate the logistical bottlenecks.
At the same time, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have committed to lift their unilateral measures on wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, and any other products coming from Ukraine.
“The Commission is ready to reimpose preventive measures beyond the expiry of the current Autonomous Trade Measures Regulation on June 5, 2023, as long as the exceptional situation continues,” reads the report.
The European Commission reached an agreement on April 28 with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia to resolve the crisis of Ukrainian agricultural imports driving down domestic prices.
According to the agreement:
- Countries will abandon unilateral restrictions on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products
- The EU will allocate EUR 100 million to support affected farmers in those countries
- Protection measures will be implemented for the four “most sensitive” products: maize, wheat, sunflower seeds, and rapeseed
- Countries will work to ensure exports to other countries.
In turn, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry sent notes to the Polish Embassy in Ukraine and the EU representative in Ukraine on April 28 decrying the “categorical unacceptability of the situation regarding trade restrictions on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products.”
Poland suspended imports of grain from Ukraine on April 15.
Polish farmers had been protesting for several months against the transportation of Ukrainian agricultural products through Poland to third countries. They claimed that a significant portion of Ukrainian grain does not transit further and stays in Poland, destabilizing Polish markets and pushing down local prices.
Later, Hungary and Slovakia also announced a temporary ban on imports of grain and oil crops, as well as some other agricultural products from Ukraine. Bulgaria joined them on April 19, allowing only transit.
A European Commission for Agriculture and Trade representative, Miriam Garcia Ferrer, stated that the EU opposes such bans.
Ukraine and Poland reached an agreement to resume the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products on April 18, Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported.
Hungary announced on April 19 that it had banned the imports of 25 types of agricultural products from Ukraine into the country, but then greenlit their transit under special conditions.
Romania has not restricted Ukrainian grain transit via its ports.