Metropolis Desk-
Even if the existing EU limitations expire on September 15, the Polish government decided on Tuesday to unilaterally maintain a ban on Ukrainian grain imports. After that date, the government announced in a statement, “We will not open the border to Ukrainian grain, regardless of the (European) Commission’s further decision.” According to the statement, the government was still considering expanding the ban at the EU level but would nonetheless do so.
“We will take these measures ourselves if Brussels does not maintain the ban… We place the utmost importance on the needs of the Polish countryside,” it declared.
Due to the unrest in Ukraine and issues with grain shipments over the Black Sea, the EU has emerged as a significant transit country and market for Ukrainian grain.
To protect domestic farmers, who attributed the decline in local market prices to these imports, the EU decided in June to limit grain imports from Ukraine to five member states.
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia are the five members.
The five have requested an extension of the limitations, which are set to expire on Friday.
Poland is particularly sensitive about the subject because there will be elections there the following month.
Farming regions strongly support the current populist right-wing Law and Justice party government.
At the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki declared, “I want to tell all farmers, the entire Polish countryside, that we will surely safeguard the interests of the Polish farmer.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland’s deputy prime minister, stated that Poland wished to assist Ukraine, “but at the same time we must remember our citizens.”
The government passed a resolution requesting that the European Union extend its import veto over wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds.
According to that statement, Poland’s prohibition “will remain in force until agricultural relations between Poland and Ukraine are regulated.”
Around a million Ukrainian refugees are housed in Poland, which also provides significant military and humanitarian help to Ukraine.
Grain imports have caused friction between the two countries on the diplomatic front.
Denys Shmygal, the prime minister of Ukraine, stated on Tuesday that Kyiv was thinking about taking legal action.
“We don’t intend to hurt Polish farmers… However, if trade law is broken in the name of political populism before elections, Ukraine would be compelled to seek redress through WTO arbitration, he warned on social media, referring to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
Source- Arab News
