The European Union’s commissioner for agriculture on Tuesday expressed optimism that countries bordering Ukraine will soon adopt an agreement allowing the transport of Ukrainian grain to their territory for further export to other countries.
The European Commission last week proposed emergency measures on wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds and sunflower oil after some central European countries took unilateral steps to ban imports food from Ukraine.
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have become transit countries for the export of Ukrainian grain. Ukraine was faced with the fact that after the invasion Russia blocked the export of any goods through the Black Sea ports.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said the transit deal would only cover five products representing 80-90% of imports. At the same time, the agreement will not affect the export of eight other categories of food products, including honey, poultry meat and dairy products.
“I think we are very, very close to a good deal,” Wojciechowski told a press conference after the agriculture ministers meeting in Luxembourg, adding that other EU countries were supporting also generally plan.
The Commission is negotiating with five countries. Wojciechowski said the EU’s executive body presented data to show the exact impact of agricultural imports.
Pole Wojciechowski said his own talks with Poland’s agriculture minister on Tuesday showed their positions were very close.
“Poland is the leading country of these five countries and is really very close to finding a solution,” he said.
According to the proposal, the five countries should ensure the transit of Ukrainian grain through their country, and their farmers should receive 100 million euros ($109.7 million) in EU funds as compensation.
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