Bulgarian parliament allows Ukrainian grain imports after Sept 15

Bulgaria’s National Assembly approved a decision to lift the ban on the imports of various foodstuffs from Ukraine after September 15.

According to The Sofia Globe, 124 MPs supported the decision, while 69 voted against.

Speaking at the meeting on Thursday, Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev said that he had been persuaded by the macroeconomic indicators presented to the Cabinet that showed that it was not a matter of concern for the ban to be scrapped.

He noted that measures to control all Ukrainian goods, especially cereals, had been stepped up, with strict checks.

As reported, Poland’s Council of Ministers at its meeting on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on the European Commission to extend the ban on the import of four types of agricultural products from Ukraine from September 15. If Brussels does not make a corresponding decision, Warsaw will unilaterally extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain. The document says that the ban will remain in effect "until relations in the agrarian sector between Poland and Ukraine are settled."

In May 2023, the European Commission banned the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania at the insistence of these countries. On June 5, the ban was extended until September 15, 2023. These countries want to extend the import ban until the end of the year and expand it to some other goods.

The Ukrainian authorities insist that if the European Commission continues the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain after September 15, Ukraine may consider taking mirror measures. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Ukraine would appeal to the WTO arbitration if Poland blocks the export of Ukrainian grain.