European Commission bans certain agri-imports from Ukraine

That’s according to the Commission’s press service, Ukrinform reports.

“The European Commission has today adopted exceptional and temporary preventive measures on imports of a limited number of products from Ukraine under the exceptional safeguard of the Autonomous Trade Measures Regulation. These measures are necessary given the exceptional circumstances of serious logistical bottlenecks experienced in five Member States,” the report reads.

The measures concern only four agricultural products – wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed – originating in Ukraine. They aim to alleviate logistical bottlenecks concerning these products in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The measures will enter into force on May 2 and will last until June 5, 2023.

During this period, wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed originating in Ukraine can continue to be released for free circulation in all the Member States of the European Union other than the five frontline Member States: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The products can continue to circulate in or transit via these five Member States by means of a common customs transit procedure or go to a country or territory outside the EU.

In parallel lines, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia “have committed to lift their unilateral measures” on wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed and any other products coming from Ukraine.

“While addressing concerns of farmers in those Member States neighbouring Ukraine, the measures uphold the EU's strong commitment to support Ukraine and preserve its capabilities to export its grains which are critical to feed the world and keep food prices down, in the face of the huge challenges posed by the unprovoked Russian aggression,” reads the report.

It is also noted that these measures are part of the overall support package that the Commission is putting forward and will be complemented with a financial support for farmers in the five Member States and further measures to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian grain exports via Solidarity Lanes to other Member States and third countries.

The European Commission is ready to reimpose preventive measures beyond the expiry of the current Autonomous Trade Measures Regulation on June 5, 2023, as long as the exceptional situation continues.

The Commission is also ready to launch an assessment of the situation of the Union market for other “sensitive” products under the expedited safeguards procedure proposed by the body.

As reported earlier, five EU countries appealed to the European Commission with a request to introduce protective measures against "excessive" agricultural exports from Ukraine, which affects the market situation, leads to a drop in prices and, thus, affects the interests of farmers in EU states neighboring Ukraine.