Poland and three other EU member states are to lift the embargo on Ukrainian food imports under a deal reached with Brussels on Friday.
THE unilateral measures had raised tensions with other member states who accused Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria of deserting Kyiv when it needed to as it fought Russian aggression.
The European Commission will impose temporary restrictions on a more limited range of products, accepting that a glut of cereals in countries has caused difficulties for their farmers.
The measures will also cover Romania which had also complained of low grain prices as its warehouses filled with Ukrainian imports. However, he did not take unilateral measures. They should come into force in the coming weeks.
Wheat, corn, oilseeds and sunflower seeds will only be allowed into these countries if they are in transit to other destinations.
Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Trade Commissioner, announced the deal on Friday evening.
“Neighboring member states will withdraw their unilateral measures,” he said. “We have a solution that addresses the concerns of farmers in neighboring member states and Ukraine.”
The commission will also examine whether the restrictions should be extended to other products such as eggs and meat.
Brussels acted quickly after some of Ukraine’s staunchest allies took action due to farmers’ protests.
The five countries will receive 100 million euros from European funds to compensate farmers.
The EU scrapped tariffs and quotas on food from agricultural powerhouse Ukraine to help after the Russian invasion. However, much of the Ukrainian grain entering the bloc had remained in neighboring countries due to the high cost of transporting it to traditional markets such as Africa.
The unexpected success of an agreement with Russia and Turkey for export grain via the Black Sea has also decreased the demand for land routes introduced by the EU.
EU member states also agreed on Friday to extend the wartime trade regime with Ukraine for another year, until June 2024. A revised version will contain tougher provisions that will allow the EU to take action to “save” its own market faster in the future.
Brussels has also promised to help organize convoys of trucks, trains and barges to transport the grain to ports where it can be taken to countries in need.
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