Polish farmers block border crossings with Ukraine to protest against competition deemed “unfair” from goods flowing from the country at war, exempt from customs duties.
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“One step forward”. The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, welcomed progress on Thursday March 28 in the context of the agricultural crisis between Poland and Ukraine, following a long-awaited meeting in Warsaw (Poland) with his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Chmygal.
“We are looking for good solutions for both parties in the field of agriculture, we have taken a step forward”, Donald Tusk said at a joint press conference. These solutions “may not satisfy all parties, but which will protect the fundamental interests of Polish farmers and producers on the one hand, and Ukrainian farmers on the other”he added.
Since February, Polish farmers have been blocking border crossings with Ukraine to protest against competition deemed “disloyal” foodstuffs flowing from the country at war, exempted from customs duties by the EU since 2022. Warsaw is demanding a cap on Ukrainian cereals, after having applied a unilateral embargo to them in 2023, defying Brussels.
“Close to a solution” on the quantities of authorized Ukrainian products
Donald Tusk stressed that Warsaw and kyiv were “close to a solution” concerning the quantities of Ukrainian products that can enter Poland and the transit of these products through its territory.
Noting that“today Ukrainian grain does not enter the Polish market”the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Chmygal, declared that a system of checks and export licenses was put in place on the Ukrainian side for four cereals: corn, rapeseed, sunflower and wheat. “So this is the first element of our cooperation. And it is the first step on our part”underlined Denys Chmygal.