The agriculture ministers of 12 EU member states have sent a letter to the European Commission criticizing a compromise it reached with the bloc's five Eastern states on the imports of Ukrainian grain and requesting urgent clarification on the issue, the Politico newspaper reported, citing a document at its disposal
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2023) The agriculture ministers of 12 EU member states have sent a letter to the European Commission criticizing a compromise it reached with the bloc's five Eastern states on the imports of Ukrainian grain and requesting urgent clarification on the issue, the Politico newspaper reported, citing a document at its disposal.
In April, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria banned imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, citing the need to protect domestic farmers from the uncontrolled influx of cheap grain. The prime ministers of the four countries and Romania also urged the European Commission to introduce measures to counteract the negative effects of the increased imports of Ukrainian grain.
Later that month, the European Commission presented proposals to resolve the situation, in response to which the countries agreed to lift national restrictions on Ukrainian imports. The proposals included a package of financial aid worth 100 million Euros ($109 million) for these countries' farmers.
The agriculture ministers of Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovenia, France, Croatia and Estonia have raised "serious concerns" over the deal, which they believe "undermines the integrity of the EU internal market," Politico reported. The officials called on the executive to explain why five Eastern European states had refused to import Ukrainian grain into their markets, while agreeing to transit it to the markets of other EU nations.
The 12 ministers also pointed out in the letter that the European Commission had made the decision "without consulting member states."
"As in all dimensions of our support, it is imperative to ensure that the European Union is united and that our differences do not play into Russia's hands, especially on this particular issue ... We urge the Commission to return to a transparent procedure along established rules within the functioning of the EU and its member states," the letter read, as quoted by Politico.
Ukraine was granted a temporary duty-free trade arrangement with the EU last June. In March 2022, the European Union additionally launched green corridors to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian grain to the world market amid Russia's special military operation. However, the cheap grain from Ukraine ended up flooding EU markets instead, prompting outrage among local farmers.
