Five Central European EU members will collectively ask the EU on Wednesday to increase a ban on Ukrainian grain imports past a Sept. 15 deadline to keep away from main market disruptions, Hungary’s farm minister informed Reuters.
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia grew to become various transit routes for Ukrainian grain to assist offset slowed exports through the nation’s Black Sea ports after the Russian invasion.
The collapse of a deal permitting Black Sea exports this week may result in elevated grains flows and bottlenecks within the 5 international locations, the Central European states worry.
The European Union in May allowed the 5 international locations to ban home gross sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, whereas permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere, together with to different EU international locations. That ban is about to finish on Sept. 15.
Heading for the assembly in Warsaw, Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy stated the 5 international locations would ask for this import ban to stay on 4 Ukrainian merchandise – wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds – for now, with transit shipments persevering with.
However, he stated they’d additionally talk about an possibility the place international locations may individually ask the EU so as to add merchandise to the ban checklist.
“We are going to Warsaw to solidify the cooperation of the five countries and sign a declaration or agreement in which we will ask the EU to extend the ban beyond Sept. 15,” Nagy stated.
He famous the maize and sunflower harvests haven’t began in Hungary whereas there may be nonetheless some Ukrainian grain left in storage.
Earlier bottlenecks trapped thousands and thousands of tons of grains within the 5 international locations, pushing down costs for native farmers.
He stated the bulk stance among the many 5 members was for the ban to stay till Dec. 31 and that is what Hungary supported as nicely.
“Obviously, Ukraine, given its sheer size, anything it produces and exports to Europe that upsets the market. The situation is the same with chicken meat, eggs, honey,” he stated.
“For the time being, the four products will remain, we are striving to preserve the ban on these four products, and probably there will be an agreement that countries, individually, can ask the EU to impose a ban on additional products … this is what we will talk about.”
Accusing Russia of utilizing grain as “ammunition,” Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus stated on Tuesday that Warsaw was keen to enhance transit by Poland however that the EU wanted to assist with infrastructure.
Nagy stated land-based transport of grains was costly, and he advised the EU ought to supply a progressive transit charge subsidy to Ukraine or the delivery corporations to permit grains to be shipped to various ports, to keep away from a burden on European markets.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
