The EU is preparing restrictions on food supplies from Ukraine

The European Union is planning to impose a centralized ban on imports of Ukrainian grain after several Eastern European countries unilaterally stopped importing food from Ukraine.

Source. This was reported by Polish Radio.

According to the agency, the European Commission calls the initiative "preventive measures". They are introduced for some grains and oilseeds, including wheat, corn, sunflower and rapeseed.

At the same time, EU trade rules allow the bloc's authorities to restrict imports of certain goods without prohibiting their transit.

The European Commission also intends to pay compensation to farmers in Eastern Europe in the amount of about EUR 100 million.

At the end of March, the European Commission had already agreed to allocate EUR 56 million to farmers in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

On April 19, European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis will meet with ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, with the participation of relevant officials from Ukraine. The parties will discuss the details.

The day before, Poland agreed to unblock transit for Ukrainian grain through its territory.

Background. Earlier, several Eastern European countries, including Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, imposed a temporary ban on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine.

The countries explained the measures as protecting the interests of local farmers. Romania and Bulgaria also intended to join them.

After Russia blocked Ukrainian ports, the EU persuaded Eastern European countries to act as the main transportation hub for grain from Ukraine. In May, the EU abolished import duties and quotas on Ukrainian products for a year. Instead of re-exporting, however, companies in Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and other countries began buying up cheap Ukrainian grain, which led to lower prices and discontent among local farmers.

In a joint statement, the countries pointed out that imports of some Ukrainian crops in 2022 increased from several thousand to several million tons.

The European Commission criticized Hungary and Poland's decision to impose an import ban. "We believe it is important to recall that the EU trade policy is the exclusive competence of the entire community, so any unilateral action is unacceptable," the EC press service said.