After Ukraineʼs application for a World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitration claim over the grain embargo, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia will stop participating in the work of the Ukrainian grain platform.
This was reported to the PAP agency by a source in the EU.
According to the source, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia fear that Ukraine can use the information provided within the framework of the coordination platform against these three countries in the WTO procedure.
Polandʼs ambassador to the EU, Andrzej Sados, said that his country will discuss the common agricultural policy of the 27 EU countries at the EU Council meeting.
- On April 28, 2023, 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. Agrarians complained that Ukrainian grain settles in countries, it is not exported further, due to which the purchase prices for grain fell sharply.
- Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia advocate banning the import of Ukrainian grain until the end of 2023. Bulgaria canceled the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain.
- On September 15, the European Commission did not extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain. Poland has declared that it will extend it unilaterally. Subsequently, Hungary and Slovakia announced the same steps.
- The European Commission reacted to the unilateral bans on the import of Ukrainian grain from three countries and called on them to be constructive.