Heads of agriculture ministries of Eastern European Union countries have asked the European Commission to introduce import duties on agricultural products from Ukraine, Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy announced on Monday.
The agriculture ministers of Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia wrote to European Commission Vice-President and EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski. They are demanding measures to limit the negative impact of imports of agricultural products from Ukraine on their markets, the Hungarian ministry said.
“The five border countries belong to the six EU member states, which can produce wheat and corn in excess of demand, so the contribution of our farmers is essential for European food security and the EU's strategic autonomy,” Nagy said.
Therefore, according to the signatories of the letter, Brussels should introduce measures to protect the markets of member states bordering Ukraine; One of them could be the introduction of taxes on highly sensitive agricultural products.
As Nagy emphasized, the EU should control the compliance of Ukrainian products with EU standards in the field of agricultural production.
Dombrowski held a video conference on Monday with Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Czeslaw Siegierski and Minister of Economic Development and Technology Krzysztof Hedman. The EC will support the Ukrainian economy, while remembering the concerns of Polish farmers regarding the import of Ukrainian agri-food products – said the Vice-President of the EC after the conversation.
In early May, the European Commission imposed a ban on wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower imports from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia as a result of an agreement with these countries on Ukrainian agri-food products. Initially, the restrictions were in place till June 5 and were later extended till mid-September. The ban was lifted on September 15 based on the decision of the Election Commission.
After that date, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia imposed embargoes on Ukrainian agricultural products, resulting in Kiev filing a complaint against these countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The restrictions concern domestic markets and do not extend to foreign markets.
A decree issued in Hungary in mid-September lists 24 types of agricultural products. Sensitive products originating from Ukraine, including various types of grain and meat. They cannot be imported into the territory of Hungary, except for transit shipments, which must leave the country within 15 days from the moment of importation.
Last week, the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture announced that it would maintain measures restricting imports of goods from Ukraine “in order to restore normal market conditions”.