EU lifts export ban on Ukrainian grain; Poland furious

The government of President Zelensky has promised to implement its own measures within a month to address unintended side effects of agricultural exports in their five EU neighboring countries. New blockades of border crossings by angry Polish farmers are anticipated.

Brussels states that export figures and grain transports via the solidarity corridors to EU ports have shown that large shipments of agricultural products are no longer entering the five EU neighboring countries. Therefore, Brussels has decided not to extend the temporary export ban on four Ukrainian agricultural products imposed in May, which expired on Friday. 

Poland fears that the arrival of large quantities of cheap Ukrainian grain will once again disrupt the local Polish grain trade. The Polish government has already reacted furiously to Brussels' decision and now says it will take measures against Ukrainian exports itself. Hungary is also threatening to do so, but Bulgaria decided yesterday not to.

Ukraine will submit an action plan to Brussels by the end of the working day on Monday, September 18, 2023. The European Commission will refrain from imposing restrictions as long as Ukraine's effective measures are in place and fully functioning. 

Since the introduction of the temporary export ban in May, the ban has been a source of growing friction between Brussels and Kyiv, which considered it 'unacceptable.' Several member states, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, expressed “serious concerns” about the harmful effects on Ukraine. 

The five Eastern countries insisted that the bans be extended. Poland took an uncompromising stance. The Polish opposition is linked to the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 15, as the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) wants to attract conservative voters in rural areas. Slovakia will also go to the polls on September 30.