EU Condemns ‘Unilateral’ Ban On Ukrainian Grain By Poland & Hungary
This weekend Poland and Hungary both took the drastic step of banning Ukrainian grain and other food product imports after cheap goods have flooded both countries.
The Polish prime minister’s office called the drastic action a necessary measure “to protect the Polish agricultural market against destabilization.” Hungarian Agriculture Minister István Nagy also announced a temporary ban on import of grain and oil seeds, along with other foods, which he said is needed “in the absence of meaningful EU measures.”
In the wake of Ukrainian ports being blocked for many months prior to the UN-brokered rain export deal, Ukrainian grain to Africa and the Middle East was largely halted.
While much of it flowed into neighboring Poland, the majority tended to remain stuck in the country, which severely impacted Polish farmers given collapsing prices that resulted.
The government of Ukraine immediately said it “regrets the decision of its Polish counterparts” following the weekend announcement.
The European Union on Sunday blasted the Polish and Hungarian measures, per The New York Times:
The European Union has criticized bans by Poland and Hungary on imports of Ukrainian grain and other foods over the weekend, saying the unilateral moves were “unacceptable.”
The bloc, of which Poland and Hungary are member states, lifted tariffs on Ukrainian grain last year to help transport it to the rest of the world amid Russia’s invasion, but the exports have led to a glut of produce in Europe. As a result, farmers in Poland, Hungary and other nations have seen their incomes plummet.
Bulgaria is now also said to be mulling a similar measure. According to more from EU officials:
A spokesperson for the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, said in an email on Sunday that such a trade policy was a matter of “E.U. exclusive competence,” meaning that only the bloc could adopt legally binding decisions.
The crisis could escalate, with the EU concerned over a continued domino effect of individual nations implementing their own policies, given Moscow has of late expressed doubts over its continuing participation in the UN grain deal which is monitored from Turkey, which is a mere weeks away from expiring.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 04/17/2023 – 05:45