Unacceptable decisions: Ukraine reacted to EU innovations regarding agricultural products
In Slovakia, which was among the countries that unilaterally restricted themselves from Ukrainian grain, meanwhile they insist: it is harmful.
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Leave the grain corridor open. Today, all participants of the Black Sea Grain Initiative will think about how to continue it and ensure the further exit of Ukrainian grain ships to international territorial waters and the export of products. The agreement is valid until May 18, Russia threatened not to extend it, but attempts to find a compromise are known today, according to an unnamed Ukrainian official cited by Reuters. He said he hopes for the results. At the same time, grain exports to up to five EU countries are already impossible, according to correspondent Zoryana Stepanenko from "Radio Liberty" for TSN.
These are the five states neighboring Ukraine, whose authorities complained about the collapse of prices for their own agricultural products, provoked, as explained in their capitals, by the shipment of Ukrainian products. But now the unilateral bans have been replaced by a general regulation from Brussels: the European Commission has implemented its own, compromising with the eastern EU countries.
The decision of the European Commission, made public the day before, is the result of a compromise with Ukraine's neighboring states, which fought with its grain and other agricultural products unilaterally. Four out of five countries - contrary to the rules of the European Union - stopped allowing it, complaining about the collapse of prices for their own agricultural products.
They agreed to lift unilateral bans in exchange for financial assistance to their farmers - the European Commission promised one hundred million euros, as well as an import ban at the level of the EU. From yesterday and until June 5, by the decision of the European Commission, the import of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds is prohibited to all EU countries bordering Ukraine: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia. Transit is allowed. And the European Commission promises measures to facilitate the passage of these goods into the EU and beyond the borders of the union as well.
They also express their readiness to extend the ban on imports to border countries if the exceptional situation, as stated in the decision of the EU executive body, will continue. Poland previously wanted to see the ban in effect until the end of the year, and even more goods on the black lists: it wanted to add milk, eggs, meat, and honey to the list. However, the European Commission will first investigate their real impact on local markets.
In Slovakia, which was among the countries that unilaterally restricted themselves from Ukrainian grain, meanwhile they insist: it is harmful. A test in another, Danish laboratory, confirmed the content of pesticides banned in the EU, the relevant minister said the day before. Now they are waiting for the owner to decide how to destroy the batch of grain.
The leadership of Ukraine does not consider the ban to be acceptable either from a legal point of view, or from the solidarity declared in the EU. They hope for a review of the decision.
Today, efforts will be made to ensure that the sea route remains open for Ukrainian grain. The Black Sea Grain Initiative is valid until May 18, and Russia has made it clear that it may not extend it until the conditions for exporting its own agricultural products and fertilizers are met. The Reuters agency learned about attempts to find a compromise from an unnamed high-ranking Ukrainian official. He told the publication that he hoped for the positive results of the negotiations.
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