EU Commissioner urges extension of Ukraine grain import ban despite opposition

June 1, Kathmandu: The EU agriculture commissioner is pushing for an extension of the ban on grain imports from Ukraine until at least the end of October, despite strong opposition from Kyiv.

The ban was initially implemented due to complaints from eastern EU countries, including Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, who claimed that the Ukrainian grain surplus was driving down local prices and negatively affecting their farmers.

An agreement was reached to allow these countries to block grain imports from Ukraine.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly criticized the export restrictions, deeming them “completely unacceptable.”

The ban has also faced opposition from 12 EU countries, including France and Germany, who expressed concerns about a lack of transparency and potential disruption to the European single market.

The European Commission has yet to adopt an official position, but Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski hopes to convince the remaining member states to support the extension.

Wojciechowski highlighted the surplus of grain in frontline countries compared to Ukraine as the reason for prolonging the ban.

The ban, which is currently set to expire on June 5, was necessitated by Russia’s invasion last year, which disrupted Ukraine’s traditional grain export routes through the Black Sea.

Ukraine has had to rely on overland export routes through neighboring countries.

While certain products from Ukraine are still allowed to be imported without restrictions or customs inspections, farmers in some EU countries protested due to price slumps, leading to additional restrictions and bans on Ukraine’s food exports.