Ukraine is offering Poland a plan to unblock the border, which includes a request to ban Russian agricultural exports to the EU and the creation of a trilateral headquarters with the participation of the European Commission. This was stated by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, UNN reports.
Details
According to the Prime Minister, the plan to unblock the border - the "Plan of Understanding" - consists of five steps.
Step 1. Ukraine agrees to the restrictions proposed by the European Commission on our agricultural exports. These are automatic safeguard measures that were presented as part of the European Commission's decision to extend duty-free trade between the EU and Ukraine. These include restrictions on poultry, eggs, and sugar.
Ukraine agrees with the proposal to export these goods to the EU without quotas and duties in volumes no greater than the average in 2022 and 2023. If it exports more, the restrictions will return.
We are also ready to continue the mechanism of verification of exports of grain, corn, sunflower and rapeseed. That is, these four groups of goods will not enter the Polish market without Polish permission
Step 2. Ukraine sends an appeal to the European Commission with a proposal to conduct an urgent screening, i.e., an analysis of clusters 4 and 5, which include agricultural policy and transport.
This is necessary to remove manipulations about the quality of our agricultural products and whether the support for our farmers meets the standards of the World Trade Organization once and for all.
At the same time, Ukraine's principled position is full trade liberalization with the EU. This is a continuation of the "economic visa-free regime". The issue of trade between Ukraine and the EU will be resolved with the EU, not at the level of individual countries
Step 3. We propose that the Polish government adopt a joint appeal to the European Commission calling for a halt to Russian agricultural exports to the EU.
In the first 11 months of 2023, Russia sold €2.5 billion worth of agricultural products and food to Europe. 5.1 million tons of food. For the whole of 2022 - 4.9 million tons. Russian food exports to the EU are growing during the war! This must be stopped! Ukraine and Poland can definitely replace these products.
Ukraine is also addressing the European Commission with two more proposals:
- Consider additional restrictions and enhanced monitoring of third-country agricultural imports to the EU, as is currently the case with Ukraine.
- We appeal to launch joint control at the border of Ukraine and the EU. We also propose to expand the pilot project on the exchange of customs information.
Step 4. We propose to create a "Trilateral Headquarters: Ukraine, Poland, European Commission" under the co-chairmanship of the agrarian ministers of Ukraine, Poland and a representative of the European Commission.
We will also involve Ukrainian and Polish agricultural associations in the work of this headquarters. We have to work around the clock to resolve all misunderstandings promptly
Step 5. The blockade of the border by Poland has long gone beyond the blockade of grain. Today, this blockade threatens the national security of Ukraine. We are grateful to the Polish government for its clear position on the passage of ammunition, military equipment, humanitarian aid, and medical supplies across the border.
Мінагрополітики: довготривале блокування кордону - "це втрати для обох країн"23.02.24, 14:49
We believe that this approach should be extended to the fuel that Ukraine critically needs
Addendum
He also thanked his Polish counterpart, Tusk, for the decision to include border crossing points with Ukraine and relevant sections of the railroad in the list of critical infrastructure.
For its part, the Ukrainian government has also made appropriate decisions to recognize border crossing points with our western neighbors as critical infrastructure.
At the same time, we hope that the joint Trilateral Headquarters will find a solution to the unimpeded passage of other groups of goods. After all, today there are more than 9,000 trucks on both sides of the border
According to him, Kyiv cannot wait until March 28 for a meeting between the heads of government of Ukraine and Poland. Shmyhal emphasizes that the issue of blocking the border should be resolved much earlier and suggests that the Trilateral Headquarters should work around the clock.
Otherwise, Ukraine reserves the right to apply mirror measures at the checkpoints
Recall
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and his team of ministers arrived at the border with Poland, but did not meet with Polish officials today.