Poland opposes extension of EU trade preferences for Ukraine - media

The Polish government opposes the extension of duty-free preferences for Ukraine in the free trade agreement with Ukraine for 2024-2025, which the European Commission is to extend for another year by its June 5 decision.

This is stated in a letter from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland Czesław Siekierski to the European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, as reported by the Polish edition RMF24.

As the Polish minister's letter emphasizes, the full liberalization of trade between the EU and Ukraine, introduced after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, has had the opposite effect than expected. He emphasizes that the problems with excessive imports concern not only grain, but also sugar, poultry, eggs, soft fruits (especially frozen raspberries), and apple concentrate. The official pointed out that, for example, sugar imports from Ukraine have increased 12-fold over this time.

Siekierski said that negotiations with Ukraine should begin on gradual, mutual liberalization, which would be accompanied by the gradual harmonization of Ukrainian agriculture with EU standards and legislation. The Polish minister called for the exclusion of provisions on sugar and poultry from the future European Commission's regulation on free trade with Ukraine, as well as the establishment of enhanced safeguard provisions.

At the same time, he declared Poland's readiness to return to talks in the format "European Commission, Ukraine, and Ukraine's neighboring countries" to find the most effective mechanisms of cooperation. The previous government of Mateusz Morawiecki had previously abandoned cooperation in this format after the EU did not agree to extend the European ban on imports of Ukrainian grain from September 15.

As reported by the agency, European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski (Poland) also threatened to block the European Commission's order to extend the free trade agreement with Ukraine for 2024-2025 if it does not take into account his proposals for trade restrictions for Kyiv.

In a letter to Dombrovskis and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Wojciechowski insists that he will not support the decree unless it provides for protective mechanisms for the EU internal market against destabilization by an excessive influx of Ukrainian products. In addition to providing for mechanisms, as in the case of the EU blocking Ukrainian grain, the European Commissioner insists on introducing quotas on the import of sugar and poultry from Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported, Polish Minister of Agriculture Siekierski said that the embargo on Ukrainian products, which the previous Polish government unilaterally imposed on September 15, will be indefinite until a separate order to lift it.