The twelve Agriculture Ministers thereby join the growing criticism of the ‘hasty’ EU decisions to support Ukraine with ‘overland corridors’ for their grain exports and the abolition of import tariffs and quotas for numerous Ukrainian products.
In a protest letter to the European Commission, the twelve countries describe measures taken unilaterally by Brussels in a panic, with which the EU ended border blockades by angry farmers in Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania.
Because grain transport by train to Polish ports is starting up slowly, but road export transport has been freely entering the EU from day one, the ‘frontline states’ complain about price dumping.
The twelve EU Member States warned the European Commission about a sensitive disruption of the internal market. The joint letter was signed by France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Luxembourg, Estonia, Denmark, and Slovenia.
These countries also feel ignored by the European Commission’s unilateral transit agreement. The import ban in the five neighboring countries was also criticized last week by Ukrainian President Zelensky at his meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv. Zelensky called for the removal of the restrictions as soon as possible.
Norbert Lins, Chair of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, already said a week ago that the EU acted hastily with the customs exemption for Ukrainians. In the meantime, Hungary is again threatening unilateral measures against Ukraine, with the EU-critical Prime Minister Viktor Orbán once more putting Brussels in a bind.
Agriculture Commissioner Wojciechowski hinted earlier this week at the possibility that some customs and quota restrictions will be reintroduced on June 5, probably mainly for poultry exports.
The current regulation is initially valid until June 5. The intention is to extend it, especially because the Russians continue to cause difficulties with allowing grain transport across the Black Sea.