The European Commission will extend the ban on the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower from Ukraine to the EU until mid-September, the Polish edition of Wiadomości reports , citing its source.
The ban came into force on May 2 to replace unilateral restrictions on the import of Ukrainian food from Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. The list of countries that are subject to special protective measures announced by the European Commission also includes Romania.
The publication quotes the words of the Minister of Agriculture of Poland, Robert Telus, uttered by him on May 3:
“I hope that the EU, the European Commission will pass this test of responsibility and solidarity. But if everything had been different <…>, then the Polish government would have remained on the side of the Polish farmers. We will make decisions that will protect the Polish market and the interests of our farmer, and thus Poland.”
Previously, it was assumed that the restriction on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU would be valid until June 5. At the same time, it can be transported in transit through the territory of the five countries listed above.
The reason for the introduction of unilateral bans by Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary was that food exports from Ukraine significantly restrained prices on the local market. This negatively affected the business of local producers, which is why they went to protests.