Poland warns European Commission it will extend ban on Ukrainian grain after Sep 15
The Polish government said this in a statement on Tuesday, September 12, Ukrinform reports.
"The Council of Ministers calls on the European Commission to extend after September 15, 2023, the ban on imports from Ukraine of four agricultural products: wheat, corn, rapeseed (colza) and sunflower seeds; take immediate action to develop solutions enabling stable and effective functioning of local producers in Poland and the European Union. If the European Commission does not extend the ban on grain imports from Ukraine after September 15, Poland will introduce such a ban at the national level," the statement said.
It added that the ban would remain in force "until agricultural relations between Poland and Ukraine are regulated."
According to the statement, the Polish government does not want Ukrainian grain to destabilize the domestic agricultural market.
"We are helping our neighbor, but we must protect Polish farmers," the Polish government said.
The statement notes that Poland has established many months of cooperation with Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria to jointly pursue the interests of farmers before the European Commission. Thanks to the efforts of five frontline countries, the EC introduced a ban on imports of grain from Ukraine until September 15, the statement said.
"If the EC does not extend the import ban, Poland will introduce such a ban on its own," the Polish government said.
In May 2023, the European Commission banned the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds 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.
