Poland gives EU “ultimatum” on Ukrainian grain imports

Poland gives EU “ultimatum” on Ukrainian grain imports
Farmers are an important voter cohort in Poland. / bne IntelliNews
By Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw September 13, 2023

Poland has sent the European Union an “ultimatum” demanding the extension of the bloc’s ban on Ukrainian grain imports beyond the current deadline of September 15 or the ban will be extended unilaterally by Warsaw, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on September 12.

Poland claims that the return of grain flows to the EU under an earlier EU-Ukraine agreement would hit the domestic market, depressing prices. The Law and Justice (PiS) government is also seeking to cultivate support ahead of the election due on October 15. Farmers are an important voter cohort in Poland.

"I sent an ultimatum to the European Commission. A clear demand: either you extend the ban on the import of 4 Ukrainian grains by October 15th, or we will extend this ban ourselves," Morawiecki said at a meeting on his campaign trail in the town of Kosow Lacki.

Poland and four other EU member states bordering Ukraine had placed national restrictions on grain imports from Ukraine, pushing the EU to institute a bloc-wide ban, which expires on September 15. Poland and Hungary have maintained a hardline stance against Ukrainian imports but other affected member states – Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria – have since softened their positions. 

The EU has long said that the ban is an exception to the bloc’s trade rules and will not be extended. The restrictions cover wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed

The Polish ban will not cover Ukrainian produce just transiting through Poland to be exported on to other countries, including other EU member states. 

The ban is all but certain to elicit an angry reaction from Kyiv, which has long said that it will take legal action against those EU member states that impose national bans against EU-wide trade rules.

The EU allowed Ukrainian grain imports as part of its  response to Russia's blocking Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea, Kyiv's main trade route for its agricultural produce.

Poland, a staunch Ukraine ally in its war against Russia’s aggression, says the ban on Ukrainian imports has nothing to do with supporting Kyiv’s war effort.

“Ukraine must understand that Poland's security is as important as its own security. It is Russia, not Polish farmers, that is to pay for the war,” Morawiecki said.

 

Read in IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Content

Europe in recession, no engines of growth

International banking groups mull expansion in CEE region

Western brands’ adverts fund Russian disinformation in Southeast Europe

News

Hungary subtly turns down Kyiv proposal for Orban-Zelenskiy meeting, former foreign minister says

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has subtly rejected an offer from Kyiv for a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, according to first commentaries after the news broke on December 7.

Turkey allows European Parliament rapporteur to visit Osman Kavala in prison

On same day, official warns Ankara to dial down the abrasive rhetoric, saying: "You are completely isolated. The only real friend you have is Azerbaijan."

Slovakia’s new government approves dismantling of Special Prosecutor Office

European Commission warns cabinet to wait before going ahead with controversial changes in the legal system.

International banking groups mull expansion in CEE region

Half of the cross-border banking groups active in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe say they want to “selectively expand” in the region, shows the latest EIB survey.

North Macedonia seeks extradition of far-right politician in double murder case

All the suspects for the brutal murders of a 14-year-old girl and a 74-year-old man are members of the extremist, pro-Russia Desna party.

Hungary subtly turns down Kyiv proposal for Orban-Zelenskiy meeting, former foreign minister says
2 days ago
Turkey allows European Parliament rapporteur to visit Osman Kavala in prison
2 days ago
Slovakia’s new government approves dismantling of Special Prosecutor Office
3 days ago
International banking groups mull expansion in CEE region
3 days ago
North Macedonia seeks extradition of far-right politician in double murder case
3 days ago

Follow Us On

Most Read

  1. Putin's approval rating up to 85% in November, Russians happy with the country's direction
    6 days ago
  2. Oil continues to flow to Israel via Turkey despite Erdogan’s vehement speeches on plight of Gaza
    1 month ago
  3. Former Kazakh leader Nazarbayev confesses to polygamy with Miss Kazakhstan 1999
    4 days ago
  4. LONG READ: The boomerang effect: sanctions hurt Europe more than Russia
    8 days ago
  5. Top Ukrainian politician David Arakhamia gives seventh confirmation of Russia-Ukraine peace deal agreed in March 2022
    13 days ago
  1. Top Ukrainian politician David Arakhamia gives seventh confirmation of Russia-Ukraine peace deal agreed in March 2022
    13 days ago
  2. Oil continues to flow to Israel via Turkey despite Erdogan’s vehement speeches on plight of Gaza
    1 month ago
  3. Russia overtakes Germany to become fifth biggest economy in the world in GDP on a PPP basis
    4 months ago
  4. Armenia marks new era with French military purchases
    12 days ago
  5. Lavrov confirms Ukraine war peace deal reached last April, but then abandoned
    2 months ago

Reports

SELECT `n`.`nid` AS `id`, `n`.`title`, 'bne IntelliNews' AS authors, 'bne IntelliNews' AS bylines, `wc`.`field_website_callout_value` AS `summary`, `smc`.`field_social_media_callout_value` AS `social`, `pd`.`published_at` AS `date`, `p`.`field_publication__tid` AS `publication_id`, `fm`.`uri` AS `image`, `fspcaption`.`field_story_photo_caption_value` AS `image_credit`, `fspcredit`.`field_story_photo_credit_value` AS `image_author`, `ws`.`field_website_sections_tid` AS `section_id`, `fdfs`.`field_subject_tid` AS `subject_id`, `db`.`body_value` AS `body`, `fm2`.`uri` AS `pdf`, `et`.`field_enable_tracking_value` AS `tracking`, `ht`.`field_head_tags_value` AS `headTags`, `bt`.`field_body_tags_value` AS `bodyTags` FROM `node` AS `n` LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_website_callout` AS `wc` ON wc.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_social_media_callout` AS `smc` ON smc.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `publication_date` AS `pd` ON pd.nid = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_publication_` AS `p` ON p.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_story_picture` AS `sp` ON sp.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `file_managed` AS `fm` ON fm.fid = sp.field_story_picture_fid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_story_photo_caption` AS `fspcaption` ON fspcaption.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_story_photo_credit` AS `fspcredit` ON fspcredit.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `workflow_node` AS `wn` ON wn.nid = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_website_sections` AS `ws` ON ws.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_subject` AS `fdfs` ON fdfs.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_body` AS `db` ON db.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_file` AS `ff` ON ff.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `file_managed` AS `fm2` ON fm2.fid = ff.field_file_fid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_enable_tracking` AS `et` ON et.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_head_tags` AS `ht` ON ht.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_body_tags` AS `bt` ON bt.entity_id = n.nid WHERE (n.status = 1) AND (n.type = 'article') AND (n.nid = 292508) AND (wn.sid= 3) AND (p.field_publication__tid IN (2465,2851,3184,3159,3266,3264,3270,3265,3267,3268,3269,3171,3168,3185,3170,1346,1345,3180,3175,3254,3249,1207,1208,3181,3231,3177,3186,3178,1003,3187,2975,3204,3198,3188,3202,3196,3250,3189,3160,3161,3312,3313,3173,3314,3315,3167,3259,3257,3263,3258,3260,3261,3262,3174,3316,3165,3192,3163,3282,3190,2811,3256,3317,3162,3318,3191,3297,3182,3179,3166,3319,3376,3320,3172,3255,3169,1008,3203,3197,3321,3252,3164,1307,3322,3183,3220,3176,3201,3323,1327,1020,1006,1009,1013,1014,1018,1005,1328,1010,1011,1002,1012,1311,1330,1017,1016,1019,1004,1001,1334,1335,1336,1015,1337,1338,1339,1340,1341,2496,2501,2517,2529,2506,2505,2524,2513,2526,2537,2489,2490,2520,2536,2488,2532,2500,2515,2503,2493,2527,2523,2510,2525,2498,2499,2528,2507,2487,2511,2521,2502,2491,2519,2497,2492,2514,2495,2509,2512,1629,3358)) LIMIT 1
Dismiss