Europe ministers dispute Ukraine import ban as deadline looms

Discussions about an extension to a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports into five EU member states has sparked heated debate during a meeting of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee on Thursday, after data revealed that 98% of the volume allowed to transit had gone to European countries.

Agriculture ministers of the five member states - Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria - have continued to appeal for an extension of the temporary ban beyond the September 15 deadline until the end of this year.

European Commissioner of Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski expressed his support for the ban and said that it had had a positive effect since its implementation. 

“This ban will expire September 15, and there is no decision at the moment for the prolongation,” said Wojciechowski.

“If this ban is not prolonged, we will have the same problem as before with the frontline member states...this is my personal opinion, but it has been proposed,” the Commissioner said.

In May, the European Commission agreed to ban imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower into Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia until September 15.

The five countries criticized the Commissioner and the Commission for taking so long to decide whether they would extend the ban, with only two weeks left ahead of the deadline.

Ukraine, meanwhile has disputed the move.

Ihor Zhovkva, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s deputy chief of staff, said Friday that the Ukrainian government would seek to appeal the restrictions if the EU indeed extends the measures beyond the September 15 deadline.

“If the European Commission extends its decision on Ukraine’s grain imports, we will complain to the arbitration panel under our agreement,” Zhovkva said in an interview in Kyiv.

“The commission must react.”

Many MEPs were against the temporary ban, meanwhile, saying that it had done nothing to get the grain to where it was most needed: Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Indonesia.

"Do you think, the five neighboring countries, European solidarity ends at the border?" asked Germany's Martin Hausling.

In addition, some said the majority of grain had remained in the EU, transiting to Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Netherlands, but not to seaports or to other countries as they were led to believe.

“The reason only 2-3% of Ukrainian grain is making it out to third countries is because Russian grain is cheaper and does not have to bear the burden of transport like Ukraine,” said Commissioner Wojciechowski.

German and Czech MEPs questioned why the Commission didn’t buy the surplus and ship it directly to third countries that need it.

The Commissioner's response was that this could not be achieved as transportation would cost almost the same as the wheat.

"I don't understand - you think about the five neighboring countries - imagine the situation in Ukraine? How is it perceived there? European solidarity ends at the border." said the German MEP Martin Hausling.

"We have a duty towards Ukraine. We can do a little bit more than appeals and delivering arms. It's about making sure their main export products can get to markets." Hausling added. 

Wojciechowski’s personal proposal was to support transit from Ukraine and to give subsidies to Ukraine.

He also proposed to pay compensation for the companies who deal with transit to seaports in the Baltics, Poland, and Germany, arguing that the cost of such support would not be very high in comparison with alternative solutions, as it would equate to €30/mt using €600 million, which would be possible to support the export of 20 million mt from Ukraine and that would solve the problem.  

A Commission spokesperson meanwhile appeared at odds with the Commissioner, saying a decision on the extension was yet to be taken and, therefore, they could not comment on what might be agreed. 

“At this stage, we are not in a position to comment on measures that have not been taken,” they told journalists on Thursday at the EU executive’s midday press briefing, adding that no such proposal was on the table as it had also yet to be discussed in the College of the Commissioners with a full Commission.