The Cabinet of Ministers approved a new procedure for exporting four types of products to five EU member states.
Now corn, rapeseed, sunflower, and wheat, which are exported to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, must obtain a license from the Ministry of Economy with the approval of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy.
After the European Commission lifted the embargo on Ukrainian grain on September 15, Ukraine, in accordance with the new conditions, developed and presented an action plan for export control within 72 hours.
"We agree with the European Commission and the importing countries on the necessary list and volume of agricultural products from four crops. They, in turn, determine whether they are ready to accept these crops, when and in what quantities. Only after that we issue permits to our enterprises to export one or another product. That is, Ukraine controls its exports and coordinates them with the receiving countries," explained Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solskyi during an online speech at a meeting of the European Parliamentʼs Agrarian Committee.
The Minister hopes that this scheme of work will satisfy all parties. And even the three countries that are currently opposing Ukrainian agricultural exports will join this plan.
- 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.
- Ukraine is preparing a lawsuit against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia in World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitration over the grain embargo. After this statement, a source in the EU informed the PAP agency that Poland, Hungary and Slovakia will stop participating in the work of the platform regarding Ukrainian grain.