Poland considers ‘adequate measures’ against Ukrainian grain after September 15
The Polish government is ready to take "adequate measures" against Ukrainian grain after September 15, when the embargo on its imports agreed with the European Commission expires, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated on Monday, money.pl reports.
- Subscribe to LIGA.net in English on Twitter
"The current regulation is valid until September 15. And we are afraid that the market may be flooded with grain again as soon as it is completely canceled. We will take adequate measures. It is hard to say what they will be," Morawiecki said.
Poland is ready to consult with the European Commission if necessary, but "farmers will definitely not be left alone," the Prime Minister added.
In his speech, he emphasized that Poland will not close the solidarity corridors that allow Ukraine to export grain to third countries.
"Exports do not harm us, we help Ukraine to export grain to other countries, but we do not want to destabilize prices in our domestic market," he said.
In mid-April, Poland, followed by Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, suspended imports of grain and other food products from Ukraine under pressure from local producers.
The countries agreed to lift their unilateral restrictions only after lengthy negotiations with the European Union, as a result of which the European Commission agreed to allocate €100 million to compensate farmers in Ukraine's neighboring countries. After that, five Eastern European countries approved an embargo on imports of several grains and oilseeds from Ukraine (wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower): Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
These restrictions will be in effect until mid-September, and the European Commission has no plans to extend them.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Europe to lift the grain embargo because "any restrictions against Ukrainian exports are currently unacceptable."
