The European Commission and a number of member states in the east have reached an agreement on the import of Ukrainian grain into the European Union. This was announced by Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis on Friday evening.
According to Dombrovskis, the Commission will issue exceptional protective measures for wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds. In return, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria undertake to cancel their unilateral measures.
The four member states have in recent weeks banned imports of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine because prices have fallen sharply on their domestic markets. This drop in prices is due to the fact that a lot of Ukrainian grain destined for third countries has been stored in these countries for longer than expected due to logistical problems.
The unilateral measures clashed with opposition from the Commission, which has exclusive jurisdiction over European trade policy. She also stressed that Kiev needed exports to generate income. Exports pass through the European Union because the usual trade routes through the Black Sea are inaccessible.
President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement. In a tweet, she said the agreement “will protect our farmers’ income and Ukraine’s ability to export so it can continue to feed the world.”
The Commission had earlier allocated 100 million euros to support farmers in the four countries and Romania.
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