The European Commission has criticized the decisions of Central European countries to stop grain imports from Ukraine.

Poland, Slovakia and Hungary – all bordering Ukraine – recently banned imports of wheat, oils and other agricultural products.

The representative of the European Commission today emphasized that trade policy is the exclusive competence of the European Union, and therefore measures taken unilaterally cannot be taken.

More information is needed to assess the situation, the spokeswoman said, adding that in difficult times it is important to coordinate decisions within the EU.

The European Union has temporarily suspended tariffs on imports from Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion to allow one of the world’s largest grain producers to continue accessing global markets.

Because Ukrainian products are often not re-exported, ministries in Budapest and Warsaw say farmers face disproportionate competition from duty-free imports.

Instead, as he announced on Monday, the Czech Republic will not pursue the same policy and will not impose a blockade.

Slovakia, for its part, banned the sale of Ukrainian wheat as food and animal feed, citing the alleged presence of pesticides in these products.

In March, Brussels allocated almost 60 million euros in agricultural assistance to affected EU countries.

A second aid package is being discussed, a spokeswoman said today.

It is expected that the decision to resume the temporary suspension of tariffs will be made before the end of June. In February, the Commission proposed the introduction of new guarantees to facilitate the restoration of tariffs if necessary.

with information from Reuters, APE-MPE