Czech Republic favors solving Ukraine food exports problem at EU level
MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - The Czech Republic is not planning to ban Ukrainian grain imports unilaterally, but Czech Agriculture Minister Zdenek Nekula is in talks with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski to get the problem solved at the EU level, the Czech Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on its website.
"I discussed Ukrainian agricultural imports with EU Agriculture Commissioner Wojciechowski this weekend and asked him how the European Commission would react to the import ban announced by Poland and Hungary. He confirmed to me unequivocally that such unilateral measures were unacceptable. I agreed to meet with the commissioner next week in Luxembourg where we want to discuss further possible solutions and the EU's common approach. We will also include this topic in the April 25 meeting of the Agriculture [and Fisheries] Council," the statement quoted Nekula as saying.
The ban imposed by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia run counter to the principles of the EU common market and the World Trade Organization, the ministry said.
In the context of consumer health protection, the Czech Republic has tightened control over the import of Ukrainian grain, including grain as human food. So far tests have shown no breaches. "For me, protecting the health of the Czech citizen is an absolute priority, we will continue with intensive checks and will destroy entire consignments if a result is positive," Nekula said.
He also wants to discuss with his EU counterparts and the European Commission the operation of 'solidarity corridors' to facilitate Ukrainian agriculture exports to non-EU countries, which the Czech presidency in the Council of the EU last year favored, the statement said.
"It is important that the European Commission and certain countries thoroughly monitor the consequences of EU imports from Ukraine, including the impact on the EU market and national producers. But the unilateral bans of certain countries will not solve anything. We need to find a consensus in the whole EU on the rules for transiting Ukraine's agricultural products to European ports, as well as for the goods to continue to arrive to non-EU countries which depend on Ukrainian products. A political agreement between the EU and Ukraine is needed to clearly define the transit rules for each good to arrive fully to a non-EU country," Nekula said.
It was reported earlier that three EU countries - Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - are banning the import of Ukrainian grain to protect their farmers. Bulgaria may follow suit. The European Commission said independent decisions of individual countries, such as Poland and Hungary, regarding restrictions on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine were unacceptable.
Poland has banned the import of not only grain, but of any agricultural products from Ukraine until June 30, 2023.
On April 14, the ministers of the Visegrad Four countries Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, as well as Romania and Bulgaria, held online negotiations on the situation with regard to Ukrainian grain. According to their results, Slovak Minister Samuel Vlcan said that at the Agrifish Council, which brings together agrarian and fisheries ministers of the European Union, he plans to present the use of an EU tool through which Ukrainian grain would be purchased in cooperation with the UN World Food Program. This will help Ukraine in a difficult situation and at the same time protect the EU market from the dumping of goods from Ukraine, he said.
The Associated Press has said the European Union's decision to exempt agricultural products from Ukraine from duties led to a glut on local markets and lower prices. This is causing discontent among European farmers.
Ukrainian grains and oilseeds enter and remain in unprecedented quantities in EU member states bordering Ukraine. In addition, the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex has begun to export a large amount of poultry meat, eggs and honey to Europe, the Hungarian Agriculture Ministry said.