Current challenges

– 'The European Union is at a crucial moment today. We are facing challenges related to the influx of large quantities of Ukrainian agri-food products, and we are aware of the need to develop comprehensive, long-term solutions to ensure fair competition conditions for products from our countries,' Minister Robert Telus stressed.

Mechanisms needed

'There is a need within the European Union to discuss effective ways of transiting goods from Ukraine to food insecurity hotspots. Such a mechanism could be transit subsidies, which could effectively support the functioning of solidarity corridors,' assured Minister Robert Telus.

What after 15 September?

Minister Robert Telus emphasised that Poland, together with the countries of the region, awaits the extension by the end of the year of the preventive measures on imports of Ukrainian products, which are only in force until 15 September 2023.

– 'Threats and problems remain unresolved, the value of the transit of agri-food goods from Ukraine through the territory of Poland is increasing, so there are no substantive reasons why the ban cannot be extended,' the Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development noted.

– 'This is in line with the interest of our farmers, and we hope that the European Commission will take these legitimate reasons into account,' he added.

Furthermore, Minister Telus spoke about the proposal to modify the list of products:

– 'From the discussions we are having with the five frontline countries, we see that it is also critical to make the list of products covered by the measures more flexible so that our countries have the possibility to react effectively and quickly to problems in sectors other than cereals or oilseeds.'

European solidarity needed

–'We believe that the European Union will show solidarity in the face of the crisis our countries are facing today. It is our farmers who bear most of the cost of aid to attacked Ukraine and the burden of the massive influx and management of the unprecedented increased imports of agri-foodstuffs from Ukraine,' the Polish and Bulgarian Ministers confirmed jointly