BERLIN, Apr 18 By the ban on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine, Warsaw, for the sake of its own national interests, is sacrificing European solidarity towards Kiev, German Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Ozdemir (Green Party) said on Tuesday.
Poland and Hungary, amid protests from local farmers, announced at the end of last week that they were suspending imports of Ukrainian agricultural products that enter the European market without duties. On Monday, Slovakia announced the suspension of the import of grain and other individual products from Ukraine, and on the eve it became known that Bulgaria is also considering the possibility of introducing a temporary ban on the import of Ukrainian grain.
“European solidarity should not be sacrificed to the momentary national interests of one country,” Ozdemir told DPA, commenting on Poland's decision.
According to the minister, over the past year Poland has shown itself to be a «strong partner» for Ukraine, and therefore Warsaw's actions are all the more «regrettable».
«Solidarity with Ukraine remains a top priority, and a coordinated and rules-based European approach is needed,» he stressed.
The Minister added that the export of Ukrainian agricultural products should be directed to where it is needed first of all, namely to EU ports for further distribution around the world.
At the end of March, the prime ministers of a number of EU countries turned to the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, with a request to intervene in the crisis caused by the influx of grain from Ukraine. The letter from the Prime Ministers of Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia noted that «the problems are associated with a significant increase in the supply of Ukrainian products to the markets of EU member states, especially those bordering Ukraine or located next to it», in particular, «an unprecedented growth imports of cereals, oilseeds, eggs, poultry, sugar, apple juice, berries, apples, flour, honey and pasta», which negatively affected the prices of local producers.