Ukraine sues EU countries that ban grain imports
Ukraine plans to initiate legal proceedings against European Union (EU) members Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, which decided to ban the import of grain and food products from Ukraine.
Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka made a statement on the Politico website about the problems that exist between Ukraine and some EU member countries regarding the import of agricultural and food products.
Kachka stated that Ukraine will file a lawsuit against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia due to the ban on importing agricultural products and said: “It is very important to prove that these actions are legally incorrect. That is why tomorrow we will begin the judicial process.” he said.
Kachka explained that Poland, Hungary and Slovakia’s open defiance of Brussels is not only an internal EU issue, but also an issue related to the trust of international trading partners in Brussels.
Recalling that trade policies and trade agreement negotiations of EU countries are under the authority of the EU Commission, Kachka stated that the approach of Hungary and Poland, especially, which ignores the position of the EU institutions In trade policy, it is a serious problem.
Kachka stated that Ukraine plans to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on this issue to reveal how EU member countries behave towards their trading partners.
WHAT HAPPENED?
With the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, a significant amount of grain and food products began to be shipped overland from Ukraine to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Ukrainian agricultural products entered the markets of the bordering countries of Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and nearby Bulgaria.
Cheap grains and food products from Ukraine upset farmers in these countries and governments began to impose bans on Ukrainian products.
To address countries’ concerns about grain imports from Ukraine, the EU Commission had prepared a plan that included providing additional support to farmers and imposing restrictions on some Ukrainian products if they were allowed to transit.
In this context, the EU began to implement temporary measures on May 2, ensuring that Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria do not import wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflowers from Ukraine.
Although Poland, Hungary and Slovakia requested a further extension of the EU measures, the EU Commission did not extend them and they ended on September 16.
While the EU Commission did not extend the decision banning the import of cereal products from Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia announced they would implement their own bans. (AA)