Hungary has agreed with Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria to introduce national bans on the import of Ukrainian grain if the European Union does not extend the grain embargo. It ends on September 15.
"Reuters" writes about it.
Hungarian Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy said that the new national ban will cover more Ukrainian products than the current restrictions.
"We have agreed with my Romanian, Slovak and Bulgarian colleagues that if Brussels does not decide to extend the existing moratorium, we will introduce national measures individually," he noted.
At the same time, "Forbes Bulgaria" writes that the Parliamentary Commission on Economic Policy and Innovation voted by ten votes in favor (four against, two abstentions) in favor of the draft decision that Bulgaria does not support the extension of the ban on Ukrainian imports after September 15. The final decision will be made at the plenary session.
- On April 28, the European Commission reached an agreement with Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia regarding the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU. From May 2 to June 5, there was a ban on the free circulation of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds in these five countries. Then the agreement was extended until September 15. The embargo was introduced due to the fact that farmers from Poland and other countries went to protest actions. Farmers complained that Ukrainian grain was settling in the countries and was not being exported further, due to which the purchase prices for grain fell sharply.
- On July 19, the Ministers of Agriculture of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia met in Warsaw (Poland) to discuss the import of agricultural products from Ukraine. They believe that the embargo on the import of products from Ukraine should be extended until the end of the year.
- The Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki said that if the European Union does not maintain the ban on the import of grain from Ukraine to these five countries after September 15, it will be introduced unilaterally. At the same time, the transit of Ukrainian food through these countries will continue, Morawiecki emphasized.
- On July 19, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko said that Ukraine may apply mirror measures if the European Union continues the ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal called on Poland to open its borders for the export of Ukrainian grain.
- Five EU countries — Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia — are in favor of banning the import of Ukrainian grain until the end of 2023. The temporary European embargo on the import of Ukrainian grain to five EU countries ends on September 15.
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine will submit Poland to arbitration at the World Trade Organization over the grain embargo.