The EU criticized the Bans on Imports of Ukrainian Grain

The European Commission on Monday criticized the decision of several Central European countries to stop the import of grain from Ukraine, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.

Poland, Slovakia and Hungary have in recent days announced bans on the import of wheat, oilseeds and other agricultural products from Ukraine, with which they have a border.

The Bulgarian Acting Minister of Agriculture, Yavor Gechev, hinted that a similar measure could be taken in Bulgaria as well. A similar decision is expected to be made this week.

A spokesperson for the European Commission yesterday stressed that trade policy falls under the exclusive competence of the EU and therefore unilateral measures are unacceptable.

Additional information has been requested to assess the situation, she said, adding that coordinated decision-making within the EU is important in difficult times.

In March, Brussels provided nearly 60 million euros in support for the agricultural sectors of countries affected by the problem of Ukrainian imports.

A second aid package is being discussed, the spokesperson said.

A decision on whether to renew the temporary suspension of import duties on Ukrainian goods must be made before the end of June. The Commission proposed in February to provide new safeguards to facilitate the rollback of duties if necessary.

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine blockaded some Black Sea ports, large quantities of Ukrainian grain, which is cheaper than that produced in the EU, ended up in central European countries due to a logistical impasse, hitting prices and sales for local producers. Although trade is the EU's exclusive competence, an EC spokesperson said it was not yet clear whether decisions to ban imports were in breach of EU law, wrote EURACTIV.

"We are already in contact with the relevant authorities (...) to properly understand the scope of the measures and the legal basis, as we do not have complete clarity on the matter," the spokesperson said, adding that it was "too early to predict the possible options."

Instead, the priority right now is de-escalation.

"Our aim is not to create hardship for the population within the EU while supporting Ukraine, so it is not about sanctions," Commission chief spokesperson Eric Mamer said, adding that it was instead about "finding solutions".

Bulgaria decides whether to stop importing grain from Ukraine

Bulgaria decides whether to stop importing grain from Ukraine. Over the weekend, the Minister of Agriculture announced that he expects the report on whether there are legal grounds to impose such a ban to be ready today.

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