Five EU Countries Agreed to Continue Ban on Ukrainian Grain Importing

The ministers of agriculture of Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary have agreed to support a ban on Ukrainian grain import into their countries after September 15.

According to Reuters, Polish Minister of Agriculture Robert Telus announced that the five Eastern EU member states support “a ban on imports into our countries until the end of the year.”

“I want to say that even if it fails, some countries will introduce their own restrictions. Our declaration is clear,” he added, without specifying which countries he was referring to.

Telus also stated that the agriculture ministers of the five countries have also agreed to support grain transit subsidies and want other products to be added to the list of import bans, such as raspberries in the case of Poland.

In May, the EU allowed Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary to ban the domestic sale of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds, while permitting the transit of such goods for export to other countries. This ban is set to end on September 15.

Ukraine remains firm in its demands that the EU lift its unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian exports and believes that Brussels should negotiate with Poland.

However, Poland has already stated that it will not lift the ban, even if the EU does not agree to its extension. Hungary’s willingness to take a similar step strengthens Warsaw’s position.

Tags: Ukraine, grain, EU, Poland, restrictions