European Commission officially bans imports of certain agricultural products from Ukraine to 5 EU countries

UkrAgroConsult

The European Commission has officially announced the introduction of “exceptional and temporary” safeguard measures against imports from Ukraine, which restrict the supply of certain agricultural products of Ukrainian origin to 5 EU countries bordering Ukraine.

This is reported on the website of the European Commission.

“The European Commission has today adopted exceptional and temporary preventive measures against imports of a limited number of goods from Ukraine in accordance with the exceptional safeguards of the Regulation on Autonomous Trade Measures. These measures are necessary in view of the exceptional circumstances of serious logistical bottlenecks faced by five Member States. The measures apply to only four agricultural products – wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds of Ukrainian origin. They are aimed at removing bottlenecks in the logistics of these products in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. The measures will come into force on May 2 and will last until June 5, 2023,” the official statement said.

It is noted that during this period, wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds of Ukrainian origin may continue to be released for free circulation in all EU member states, except for five frontline member states: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Goods can continue to circulate in these five Member States or transit through them using the common customs transit procedure, or be sent to a country or territory outside the EU.

At the same time, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia committed to lift their unilateral measures against wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, as well as any other products coming from Ukraine.

The communication also notes that the European Commission is ready to extend the application of safeguard measures after the current regulatory rules on autonomous trade measures expire on June 5, 2023, if this exceptional situation continues.

The European Commission is also ready to start an assessment of the situation on the EU market with other “sensitive” products, in accordance with the aforementioned rules on updated autonomous trade measures proposed by the European Commission.

Tags: Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, corn, sunflower, Romania, EU, Poland, wheat, rapeseed