Ukraine is negotiating with the EU to ensure that the ban on agricultural imports is not extended

Ukraine is negotiating with the European Union to lift a ban on imports of four Ukrainian agricultural products to five neighboring countries. The restrictions will remain in effect until June 5 and may be extended. This was announced in Brussels by the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solsky.

“Today [May 30] we met with many ministers and representatives of the European Commission. We outlined our position on the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products after June 5. We are against it, this is not a good way,” Solsky stressed.

He added that after the restriction of imports of Ukrainian agricultural products there were difficulties in the functioning of the Black Sea grain corridor.

“We did not have the opportunity to load ships for ten days (…) the Russians are following this situation and trying to take advantage of it, and we should not give them that opportunity,” the Minister explained.

What preceded it?

Since May 2, the European Commission has banned import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunseed of Ukrainian origin in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. However, these agricultural products can be transported through their territory in transit.

The restrictions will last until June 5, 2023. At the same time, European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said that the EU is likely to agree to continue the ban.

In parallel, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia pledged to cancel their unilateral measures on agricultural products from Ukraine.

Before this, the countries said they were destabilizing domestic agricultural markets through agricultural products from Ukraine, which must transit to third countries, but often remained inside the country through which the export took place.

Tags: Ukraine, EU, restrictions