European Commission doesn’t support decision to stop Ukrainian grain import

The European Commission (EC) doesn't support the member states' decision to introduce unilateral restrictions on importing grain and other food products from Ukraine. 

Miriam Garcia Ferrer, the spokesperson for the European Commission on Agriculture and Trade, announced during a briefing in Brussels that the EC is in contact with the authorities of these countries and Ukraine to study the situation and find a constructive solution, Ukrinform reports.

"We're already in contact with the relevant authorities in the member states that announced these measures, as well as with the authorities of Ukraine, to properly understand the scope of these measures and their legal basis," the EC spokesperson said. "I would like to remind you that trade policy belongs to the exclusive competence of the EU. This means that decisions should be made at the European level, so we said that unilateral actions are impossible per the EU's trade policy." 

The legal basis for trade relations between the EU and Ukraine is the agreement on a deep and comprehensive free trade area. The EU has just extended the cancellation of tariffs on all goods exported from Ukraine to the EU until the end of the year.

"Now we have new proposals on the table on how to extend this suspension because it is vital to support Ukraine in these tough times. Although we are aware of the effect on EU farmers," Ferrer noted, adding that the EC is grateful to the border countries for their help in exporting goods from Ukraine, as other ways of exportation were blocked due to Russia's war.

She also noted that the European Commission proposed measures to help the EU countries bordering Ukraine — Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania — in response to the excessive supply of certain agricultural goods. The European Commission proposed the €56-million aid package on March 20. On March 30, it was approved at the level of the member states.

The European Commission is working on the second package, although it's too early to discuss its scope and modalities as the work is ongoing. According to Ferrer, the second aid package for European farmers experiencing difficulties due to Russian aggression against Ukraine can also be adopted "very quickly."

"We received a letter from 5 EU countries with a border with Ukraine, where they asked us to impose certain restrictions and the flow of goods from Ukraine and take certain measures. We are currently analyzing and verifying these offers. We need to understand on what legal basis these countries introduced the import ban, so it is too early to speculate about the measures that may be taken in this regard," said the EC spokesperson.

Answering the question of what measures the European Commission can take against countries that have introduced unilateral restrictions on the export of agricultural goods from Ukraine, EC spokesperson Eric Mamer said that one needed to find solutions to the existing problem and not hypothetical "punishment" while these countries are helping Ukraine.

"We are dealing with war. This war has consequences for both EU farmers and the population of Ukraine. The EU and its member states, including Poland and other countries bordering Ukraine, are doing everything they can to help Ukraine, which is extremely welcome. Our goal is not to create difficulties for the population within the EU when we support Ukraine. So it is not about imposing sanctions but finding a solution based on legislation that applies to Ukraine and the EU."

He noted that the European Commission is currently working on relevant proposals with the Council of the EU and the Swedish Presidency of the European Union, which should be formed "soon" to solve the problem.