The European Commission wants the import bans issued by the five countries to be lifted. The five EU countries have banned Ukrainian wheat and other agricultural products because they have accumulated in Eastern Europe, causing problems for local farmers. The commission proposes that until the end of June only wheat, maize, sunflower seeds and rapeseed from Ukraine destined for other EU countries or abroad are allowed. Furthermore, he wants to allocate another 100 million euros to compensate for the damage suffered by farmers in the five ‘border countries’. More than 56 million euros have already been allocated for this.
Fear of less aid Ukraine
However, diplomats in Brussels are concerned about the damage the high-profile issue is doing to Ukraine’s support in Europe. The conflict would also show once again how difficult it will be to integrate Ukraine into the EU. Poland reached an agreement earlier this week to allow passage of Ukrainian wheat on its journey abroad. At the same time, the five countries are stepping up pressure to introduce broader import restrictions.
Pressure on the Eastern European export route to Ukraine only appears to be increasing in the foreseeable future. Russia is preparing to further limit transport through the Black Sea. Brussels’ intention to extend the more flexible rules for Ukraine remains firm.
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