Hungary opposes unlimited imports of Ukrainian grain to the EU, Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy said upon arrival at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council. Without decisions on Ukrainian wheat and corn in the context of guarantees for the EU, the continuation of trade measures for Ukraine is unacceptable for Hungary, a representative of the Hungarian government said, UNN reports citing Sky TG24.
Details
"As the Black Sea corridor is reopened, Ukrainian products should return to their traditional exports, mainly to the Middle East and Africa. The European internal market must be protected, it is no longer profitable for our farmers to compete with other products from other countries with much lower standards. They cannot compete with these products imported in this way," Nagy said.
"Without the inclusion of wheat and a decision on corn" in the guarantees for Ukrainian imports to the EU, "the continuation of the agreement is unacceptable for Hungary," a Hungarian government official said.
Addendum
The situation on the market, in particular after the invasion of Ukraine, is scheduled to be discussed in the European Union at a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council on March 26.
Recall
On January 31, the European Commission proposed to extend the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year, while proposing measures to mitigate the possible impact on farmers in the EU.
On March 7, the European Parliament gave its first approval for duty-free access to the EU for Ukrainian goods for another year, but with the right to restrictions.
On March 19, the EU hosted a triallogue on the extension of autonomous trade measures for Ukraine.
Before the meeting, a proposal was voiced to extend the restrictions on poultry, eggs, and sugar from Ukraine proposed by the European Commission in January to grain.
The compromise reached by negotiators from the EU Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission, however, reportedly "will expand import restrictions to cover four additional agricultural products and require the EU executive to act faster in the event of a sharp rise in imports.
"To Kyiv's relief," as noted, "EU negotiators also decided not to extend the 2022-2023 baseline period for calculating the ceiling to include 2021, when imports from Ukraine to the EU were much lower.
However, on March 20, EU ambassadors failed to approve the extension of trade liberalization measures for Ukraine on the eve of the summit of the bloc's leaders, and were supposed to discuss the issue at their regular meeting a week later.
For reference
The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, has provided Ukrainian businesses with preferential access to the EU market since 2016. Immediately after the outbreak of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, the EU introduced autonomous trade measures in June 2022 that allow duty-free access for all Ukrainian goods to the EU market. These measures were extended for one year in June 2023 and expire on June 5, 2024.