The European Union will not give up on Poland. This is about the embargo on food from Ukraine

— Maintenance a unilateral embargo is inconsistent with EU law – said the RMF FM interlocutor. The European Commission was about to lose patience after the EU-Brussels trade agreement entered into force this week, which, according to RMF's interlocutor, was to be “tailored to the requirements of Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to meet their concerns” in connection with the inflow of Ukrainian grain to domestic markets.

Poland, despite the entry into force of the trade agreement, did not lift the embargo, as reported by RMF FM. This information was announced on Wednesday confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Iwona Pacholska, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, announced that “There is still an embargo on the import of certain products from Ukraine, mainly cereals.”

— The fact that a new agreement between the EU and Ukraine is entering into force does not mean that the ban on importing certain products to Poland will be automatically lifted. There is still a ban on importing selected products from Ukraine to Poland, mainly cereals, but also sunflower seeds, rapeseed meal, bran, and cakes, Pacholska noted.

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EU-Brussels trade agreement. Ministry of Agriculture: does not take into account all our demands

The EU-Brussels trade agreement is a new trade agreement that the European Commission negotiated with Kiev and accepted by member states on October 13. The new agreement establishes customs exemptions that are beneficial for Ukraine – compared to the current, temporary situation – but at the same time introduces a protective mechanism that will allow for a quick response in the event of market disruptions.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said in a statement on Wednesday that “the new agreement does not take into account all the provisions requested by Poland, which were intended to minimize the potential negative impact of the import of Ukrainian goods on Polish agriculture.”

It added that the more favorable rules for the protection of the entire EU agricultural market obtained by Poland are ensured in the new agreement, among others: limiting duty-free imports of sensitive goods such as sugar, poultry meat and eggs to the level of tariff quotas; introduction of a bilateral safeguard clause enabling the temporary withdrawal of tariff concessions granted under the agreement. In accordance with Polish demands, the clause will also be able to be activated in the event of market disruptions at the level of a single Member State.

The ministry added that the import of goods from Ukraine is still subject to compliance with EU food safety requirements and is subject to control by relevant inspections and services from EU member states.

Embargo on food from Ukraine in Poland

After the Russian attack in 2022, the EU introduced trade preferences with Ukraine. Excessive inflow of, among others, cheaper Ukrainian grain, however, sparked protests in countries neighboring Ukraine. Some countries, including Poland, have imposed an embargo on Ukrainian goods. Due to the growing unpopularity of such far-reaching trade liberalization with Ukraine, it was decided not to extend it, and instead to negotiate a new solution based on the Association Agreement of 2016. Trade preferences expired in June this year.

Poland introduced an embargo on imports, among others. grain as a result of protests by farmers who pointed to excessive imports of Ukrainian grain in 2022-2023. This situation led to a significant increase in the supply of grain on the domestic market and lower grain prices, which had an impact on the financial condition of farmers.

The embargo entered into force on September 16, 2023 by regulation of the Minister of Development and Technology. It is indefinite.