Slovakia has temporarily suspended imports of cereals and “other selected products” from Ukraine. This was announced on Facebook (owned by Meta*) by the Prime Minister of the Republic, Eduard Heger. After Poland and Hungary, Slovakia has become the third EU country to introduce such restrictions. What are dissatisfied with in Europe – in the material of Russian media.
Slovakia’s agriculture ministry said it had “exhausted all legal and competent options” to regulate imports from Ukraine while maintaining trade “corridors of solidarity”.
Last week, on April 13, the department banned processing and marketing Ukrainian cereals due to the detection of pesticides in a batch of Ukrainian wheat weighing 1,500 tons.
Five EU countries warned of “serious difficulties”
After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine and the temporary blockade of Black Sea ports, the EU canceled duties and tariffs on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products so that they could transit through the EU to markets in Africa and the Middle East. However, as a result, a large amount of Ukrainian grain, cheaper than European, ended up in the countries of Central Europe, which caused the discontent of local farmers. The fact that the cereals do not reach the countries of destination, lamented and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In January 2023, the five countries closest to Ukraine – Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia – warned The European Commission speaks of “serious difficulties” due to a sharp increase in imports of Ukrainian agricultural products. Representatives from the five countries noted that European producers have already suffered the consequences of the hostilities, including rising fuel, energy and fertilizer prices.
Among other things, the authors of the statement offered to pay compensation to affected farmers, to “seal” the supply routes of Ukrainian products so that they reach destination markets without remaining on the internal EU market , and also to help Kiev adapt to EU requirements.
Poland and Hungary ban and reaction to it
On April 15, Poland and Hungary introduced a ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products, which will be valid until June 30, 2023. The authorities of both countries explained these measures by the need to protect local farmers and national agricultural markets.
Polish restrictions broadcast for grains, cereals, sugar, fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs, bee products. The ban also applies to the transit of Ukrainian grain to third countries.
Hungary limit imports of cereals, oilseeds and “a few other” Ukrainian agricultural products, without specifying the list.
The European Commission (EC) criticized the actions of Poland and Hungary, noting that trade policy falls within the exclusive competence of the European Union, therefore “unilateral actions are unacceptable”.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food accused Warsaw of violating mutual agreements, according to which wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed until July 1, 2023 should not transit through Poland only in transit.
“We understand that Polish farmers are in a difficult situation, but we emphasize that Ukrainian farmers are currently in the most difficult situation,” the ministry said.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry appointed Poland’s move is telling “from the standpoint of exposing Westerners’ imagined concern for the hungry and those in need of food.”
In the context of what is happening in early April, Polish Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk resigned.
grain deal
In peacetime, about 75% of Ukraine’s foreign trade took place through the ports, but after the outbreak of hostilities the three largest commercial ports – Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk – were blocked.
In July 2022, Russia and Ukraine, with the help of the UN and Turkey, concluded a so-called grain agreement, allowing Ukrainian ships to transport grain along the Black Sea via a humanitarian corridor.
The document was concluded for 120 days with the possibility of automatic extension for the same period in the absence of objections from the parties. In March 2023, the Russian authorities announced the extension of the agreement, but only for 60 days. The Russian Foreign Ministry has also set conditions, the breach of which threatens to pull Moscow out of the deal.
We are talking about the resumption of work on the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and the reconnection of Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT system.
What is a “grain deal” and why Russia needs it – in Russian media material
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