The European Commission does not extend temporary restrictive measures on the import of Ukrainian grain to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria, provided that Ukraine complies with measures that will avoid a new grain surge.
This is discussed in the message of the European Commission, distributed in Brussels on Friday.
“Existing measures will expire today. Ukraine has agreed to introduce any legal measures (including, for example, an export licensing system) within 30 days to avoid grain surges. Until then, Ukraine is to put in place from September 16, 2023 effective measures to control the export of four groups of goods in order to prevent any market distortions in the neighbouring Member States. Ukraine will submit an Action Plan to the platform no later than close-of-business on Monday 18 September 2023,” the message reads.
What is more, it is noted that the European Commission and Ukraine will monitor the situation via the platform “to be able to react to any unforeseen situations.” “The European Commission will refrain from imposing any restrictions as long as the effective measures by Ukraine are in place and fully working,” the European Commission said.
Anticipating this decision, the message says that the European Commission has analysed the data related to the impact of the exports of 4 categories of agricultural products on the EU market. “It has concluded that thanks to the work of the Coordination Platform and to the temporary measures introduced on 2 May 2023, the market distortions in the 5 Member States bordering Ukraine have disappeared. A constructive attitude of all participants in the platform helped to solve concrete problems and ensured that exports to third countries outside the EU are flowing and even increasing,” the EC stated.