European Commission extends restrictions on agricultural imports from Ukraine to several EU countries

BRUSSELS. June 6 (Interfax) - The European Commission on Monday agreed to uphold the proposal to extend restrictions on agricultural imports from Ukraine into some of the EU member countries until September 15, on the premise that the problems prompted by such imports have not yet been fixed.

The relevant decision has been published on the Official Journal of the European Union and takes effect immediately. It is stated in the document that the decision will apply until September 15, 2023.

The European Commission's decision concerns Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. It bans any imports of wheat, corn, rapeseeds or sunflower seeds from Ukraine to these countries.

"Limitation does not affect the movement of those goods in or via Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania or Slovakia under the customs transit procedure," the regulatory document signed by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen says.

Western media reported citing the Polish Ministry of Agriculture on Monday that Ukraine's neighbors in the EU may extend the ban on the importation of Ukrainian grain until mid-September.

Agricultural producers based in several EU member states began facing problems linked to an excess of Ukrainian grain and some other agricultural goods on the markets of Eastern European countries in the first months of 2023. The problems were largely provoked by the EU's temporary scrapping of its customs duties on grain and oilseeds imported from Ukraine. Due to this measure being taken by Brussels, the countries bordering Ukraine later saw imports of Ukrainian agricultural goods grow dramatically.

Ukrainian products, and specifically, grain, sunflower, eggs, poultry meat, sugar, apples and apple juice, berries, flour, honey and pasta then began to end up on supermarket shelves in these countries in unprecedented amounts, which led to sharp price declines and delivered a heavy blow to farmers in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.