Bratislava awaits proposals from the European Commission on a systematic solution to Ukrainian grain import issues, Slovakian Agriculture Minister Richard Takach said on Nov. 21.
Slovakia’s unilateral ban on Ukrainian grain imports will remain in place until Brussels offers a systematic solution to the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products in Europe, Takach said during a bilateral meeting with Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski.
“Slovakia fully supports the transit of agricultural products from Ukraine through solidarity lanes to third countries,” the ministry quoted Takach in a message on its website.
“However, the reality is that a significant portion of these goods remain in the EU market, thus presenting price competition for Slovak farmers who export grains within the EU.”
The minister noted that in Slovakia, crops are grown on approximately 500,000 hectares of land—around one-third of the country’s arable territory. Therefore, maintaining this level of production is crucial for the country, as the loss of producers would lead to the collapse of the Slovak agricultural sector.
“Until such a solution is found at the EU level, the ban on importing agricultural products from Ukraine to the Slovak market, enacted at the national level, will remain effective,” the official concluded.
Wojciechowski, in turn, assured Takach that the European Commission is attentive to the problems of the Slovak agricultural sector but does not consider Slovakia’s planned unilateral measures ideal. However, the commission is ready to seek a constructive pan-European solution regarding the import of Ukrainian agricultural goods.
Slovak officials previously signaled that the ban could be lifted if Ukraine implements a licensing system for its grain exports.