According to the correspondent from Hungary Stefan Bos, however, it will not be just about wheat. ‘Products such as sugar, hops, honey (products) and even hemp are also being considered. A ban on the import of fruit and vegetables is also being considered. On Monday, the European Commission reacted with fury to the decision of the Eastern European countries. The Commission believes that trade policy is a European issue on which Member States should not decide for themselves.
Unfair competition
The fact that these countries no longer want to import products from Ukraine has to do with the competition from their own farmers. “They are very worried about their farmers and find competition from Ukraine unfair. That country’s grain is many times cheaper than what they can produce themselves.”
What also plays a role in Poland, however, is elections later this year, says Bos. “The nationalist government is eager to be re-elected. Then it won’t help if an important part of your electorate votes for the other party.’
While the other Eastern European countries want to extend the import ban until 30 June, Hungary is already considering a longer ban, ‘unless the European Union comes with the money’. This refers to the billions Hungary would receive from the Corona Recovery Fund, among other things. That money is now withheld by the EU due to concerns over Hungary’s rule of law. According to Bos, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hopes to be able to put additional pressure on the EU with this.
Putin will no doubt love it
However, the European Union has also made a mistaken assessment, thinks European policy professor Hendrik Vos of the University of Ghent. «The Poles had already indicated that they would consider grain from Ukraine unfair competition. However, the European Union assumed that the Poles would side with the Ukrainians, because they support more and more weapons.’
However, Vos says “something’s going on.” It refers to grain that was normally transported in large numbers across the Black Sea. “Since the war with Russia has made using that route very difficult, the EU has said that Ukraine can sell it on the European market without quotas and duties”. Because of this switch, wheat was also bought on the European market, while “it was actually intended to enter the world market through the European market,” says Vos. “Then you see that this is why resistance is now increasing.”
‘Hungary has not proved to be Ukraine’s best friend’
That Hungary would later join Poland was ‘written in the stars’, says the professor. “They have never shown themselves to be best friends with the Ukrainians. But for countries like Poland and Bulgaria it is above all a problem of internal politics, which they say they can no longer manage”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will rub his hands, Vos thinks. Putin will no doubt love it. Here you can see the division between the member states and also between the member states and the European Commission. The EU has a great interest in finding a quick solution.’ This solution may lie in the passage of Ukrainian grain through Poland, Vos thinks. “Somewhere there must be guarantees that it will not enter the Polish and perhaps the European market.”
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