This announcement comes in response to a joint letter from Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary to the EC, requesting the imposition of import duties on Ukrainian grain due to claims of unfair competition.
Olof Gill, the European Commission's spokesperson for trade and agriculture, disclosed these plans during a briefing. He mentioned that while the specifics of the proposal are still under internal discussion, the intention is to address some sensitive issues related to the import of Ukrainian agricultural products into the EU.
This development follows a joint request from the agriculture ministers of the five aforementioned EU countries for the introduction of import duties on Ukrainian grain. Previously, in September 2023, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary had imposed restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports, a decision that was not extended by the European Commission to all five EU countries bordering Ukraine.
Ukraine's response to these restrictions was to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the three countries. Additionally, other EU members criticized these unilateral import restrictions.
The issue of Ukraine and its agricultural exports is scheduled for discussion at the EU Council's strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in Europe on January 23. The upcoming EC proposal aims to address and potentially resolve the ongoing trade tensions surrounding Ukrainian agricultural exports within the EU.
