Norbert Lins (EP-agri): Ukrainian grain export ban solves nothing

Chairman Norbert Lins of the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament strongly disagrees with the temporary export ban of Ukrainian agricultural products to five EU neighboring countries. He calls it a bogus solution, and expects that within a few days 'neighbouring countries of neighboring countries' will start complaining about an influx of Ukrainian grain and sunflower oil.

The German CDU politician told the German news agency DPA that the problem will not be solved, but will be passed on to the EU further on. According to him, it is necessary to think about how to improve specially developed trade routes between Ukraine and the EU countries. 

In the dispute over cheap grain from Ukraine, the European Commission has restricted the import of four Ukrainian products. Wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflowers can no longer be traded freely in Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia until June 5. However, it is still possible for those products to be brought from the affected countries to other EU countries. 

In the first week of June, the EU must make a decision on extending the exemption from import duties and quotas it granted to Ukraine shortly after the outbreak of the Russian war. At that time, the so-called solidarity corridors were also established to enable Ukrainian agricultural exports by land via Polish and Romanian ports. This would allow the Russian blockade of Black Sea ports to be circumvented.

In practice, organized train transport via those routes turned out to be extremely slow, while trucks with grain (thanks to the exemption) could enter the EU (read: mainly Poland and Romania) almost unimpeded. As a result, a lively trade in 'cheap' Ukrainian grain developed locally, and the markets of the immediate neighboring countries collapsed.

Blocking imports from Ukraine would not only harm Ukraine but also cause great suffering in the Middle East and Africa, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Stockholm on Saturday. 

At the end of this week, the defense ministers of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine will meet to discuss extending the internationally supported Black Sea transport. The current agreements expire on May 15. Russia is not in favor of an extension because Western sanctions against the country are not being eased.