Bulgarian parliament votes for lifting embargo on Ukrainian grain supplies
SOFIA. Sept 14 (Interfax) - The Bulgarian parliament backed the ruling coalition's initiative of lifting the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports on Thursday.
"The parliament members have approved the text proposed by the ruling coalition parties: Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, Union of Democratic Forces, We Continue the Change, and Democratic Bulgaria. Representatives of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms joined in. The ban on Ukrainian grain imports will be lifted on Friday," the Bulgarian national radio said.
The Bulgarian government said on Wednesday that Bulgaria had lost 146 million leva (74.6 million euros) of value added tax revenue alone because of the import ban and would continue to lose up to 40 million leva per month (20.4 million euros) if the embargo stays in place.
Meanwhile, the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party believes that the resumption of Ukrainian grain imports would harm Bulgarian farmers. Party leader Korneliya Ninova said that Ukrainian grain imports had nothing to do with bread prices in Bulgaria.
"Our experts have compared bread and bakery prices in those two periods, before and during the embargo, and there is no change," Ninova said.
It was reported on Wednesday that Bulgarian grain producers were preparing for protests. They think the lifting of the embargo will inflict substantial damage by dumping prices of Ukrainian grain. "We are talking about the survival of the grain sector, as well as livestock and beekeeping - all of which are under terrible pressure due to dumping from Ukraine," National Grain Producer Association Chairman Iliya Prodanov said.
The ban on Ukrainian grain imports to five EU neighbors, namely, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, is valid until Friday.
The European Commission banned imports of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia on May 2. It was decided on June 5 to extend the ban until September 15.