Poland opposes extension of EU trade preferences for Ukraine

The Polish government opposes the extension of duty-free preferences for Ukraine in the free trade agreement for 2024-2025, which the EU Commission is to extend for another year by its June 5 decision.

Polish Agriculture Minister Czesław Siekierski has expressed his "fundamental resistance" to the extension of duty-free trade with Ukraine, RMF FM radio station reports.

The full liberalization of trade between the EU and Ukraine, introduced after the start of Russia's full-scale war, "had the opposite effect than expected."

"The issues with excessive imports concern not only grains but also "sugar, poultry, eggs, soft fruit (especially frozen raspberries) or apple concentrate."

The official pointed out that, for example, sugar imports from Ukraine have increased 12 times over this period.

Siekierski said that negotiations with Ukraine should begin on "gradual mutual liberalization, which would be accompanied by the gradual harmonization of Ukrainian agriculture with EU standards and legislation."

The Polish minister called for the exclusion of provisions on sugar and poultry from the future European Commission's regulation on free trade with Ukraine, as well as the establishment of enhanced safeguard provisions.

He declared Poland's readiness to return to talks in the format "European Commission, Ukraine, its neighboring countries" to find the most effective mechanisms of cooperation.

Cooperation in this format was previously abandoned by the previous government of Mateusz Morawiecki after the EU did not agree to extend the European ban on imports of Ukrainian grain from September 15.

European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski (Poland) also threatened to block the decision to extend the free trade agreement with Ukraine for 2024-2025 if it does not take into account his proposals for trade restrictions for Kyiv.