Germany led the condemnation of Poland’s, Hungary’s and Slovakia’s unilateral restrictions on grain imports to Ukraine. The country accused these countries of cherry picking EU policies and placing their own interests above Ukraine.
Cem Ozdemir’s remarks, as the German minister of food and agriculture, highlighted the wider implications of the Ukrainian grain conflict, which has been the greatest challenge to Brussels authority in decades over EU trade.
Virginijus Sinkevicius echoed his objections, and he called on the EU environment commissioner to call for the three countries’ revocation of any bans that are against the EU trade policy. He said that “we should remain united” in our messages. These issues are more than just the grain transport.
The European Commission lifted its ban on four Ukrainian grains including wheat and corn on Friday, provided that Kyiv agrees to prevent grain influxes into EU neighbouring countries.
In the hours following, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary set their own limits, violating EU rules, to protect farmers against an alleged surplus of Ukrainian products. Both Poland and Slovakia will be holding elections in the next few weeks.
Ozdemir claimed that the lifting of the ban was the “right” decision and he accused eastern European countries for their “part-time” solidarity with Ukraine. He added that “when it suits you you are in solidarity and when it does not suit you you aren’t.”
France and Spain have also criticised this move, claiming that it violates EU core rules which grant the commission control over the common trade policy. This has been the case since the 1970s.
Marc Fesneau said that unilateral measures “call into serious question the single market, and the common markets”. Luis Planas (Spanish agriculture minister) suggested that the measures are illegal but added, “it is for the commission to decide”.
Ukraine said that it would take Poland, Slovakia and Hungary before the World Trade Organization. It could also retaliate by imposing its own trade restrictions on products from these three countries.
The unilateral bans place the commission in a difficult position, as it has to act as the trade negotiator for the EU. Should Ukraine continue its WTO case, Brussels may be forced to defend three countries from Kyiv.
The commission has not said if it will initiate formal legal proceedings against the three renegade nations, but it insists it is trying to reach a compromise. Poland was the leader of a group which introduced the first import bans in the beginning of this year. The commission then adopted the measure as a EU-wide one to deal with the temporary surge in supplies.
A diplomat from the EU said that the 24 member states of the EU would be keeping a “very close eye” on how the Commission responds so as to avoid a precedent which would “further undercut the treaties and internal market”.A commission spokesperson said that Brussels was “analysing the measures” being adopted and was focused “on making the system work”.
Brussels removed tariffs from the import of Ukrainian grain soon after Russia’s invasion to help boost Ukraine’s economic growth. The EU has also invested millions of Euros in improving the infrastructure along rail and water corridors to get grain to other EU ports after Moscow pulled out from a scheme that allowed exports via Black Sea.
Hungary said on Friday that it will continue to restrict Ukrainian grain imports. It also added dozens of new food categories, including fresh and frozen beef, pork and lamb, goats, honey, and wine.
If cheap Ukrainian imports flood markets of EU member countries in the neighbouring states. . . We can’t just watch this,” said Istvan Nagy, the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture on Facebook.
Poland added some seeds and Ukrainian flours to the original four grains that were embargoed.
Before a critical national election on October 15, politicians from the right-wing PiS Party said that Warsaw will resist EU pressure to remove the curbs, and accused Ukraine for meddling in EU affairs.
Beata Szydlo was a former Polish prime minister who called Ukraine’s Trade Envoy Taras on Monday.