According to a new Reuters report, a ban on imports of Ukrainian grain to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria has been extended by the European Commission until September 15, according to Poland’s agriculture minister, Robert Telus.
The previous ban by the EU, which targeted Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed sent to the five members was set to expire on June 5th.
On Twitter, Telus wrote, “We have received from the EC a draft of a new regulation banning the import of 4 products to the 5 countries. The effective date provided for in the draft is September 15 this year.”
He added, “It’s a draft but I hope it will come into force from tomorrow.”
The European Commission had instituted “exceptional and temporary preventive measures on imports” of the four items from Ukraine in May, to ease the impact of plunging prices in neighboring EU countries on local farmers.
The European Commission had noted, the measure was enacted to address concerns held by the farmers of Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria, which were suffering substantial losses due to being unable to sell their products following the influx of Ukrainian products into those markets.
In an effort to support the Ukrainian economy last year amid the war with Russia, the EU suspended customs duties on all agricultural products from Ukraine for one year. However the ensuing flood of cheap grain had quickly saturated markets, leaving EU producers unable to sell their products as they struggled against what they viewed as unfair competition.
The Ukrainian crops had initially been described by the EU as “critical to feed the world and keep food prices down,” and were supposed to enter the EU duty-free, while destined for Africa and the Middle East. However they instead were immediately sold on the more profitable European market, and endangered the livelihoods of the local farmers.
The EU agricultural commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski, noted on May 31st, that it would be necessary for the restrictions to be extended until at least the end of October, although Ukraine had fiercely opposed such a move.
