Ukraine responds to the extension of the embargo. Poland will bear responsibility

Taras Kaczka, deputy minister for economic development and representative of Ukraine in the World Trade Organization, announced that his country intends to take legal action against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary - countries that have unilaterally extended the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain. The procedure before the World Trade Organization is scheduled to start on Monday, September 18.

On September 15, the embargo on the import of Ukrainian grain imposed by the European Union expired. The European Commission did not decide to extend it, but the three countries mentioned did so on their own. While Slovakia simply extended the validity period of the previously introduced embargo, Poland and Hungary extended their scope to include additional products.

Will there be an embargo on Polish vegetables and fruit?

In an interview with Politico, Taras Kaczka, deputy minister for economic development and representative of Ukraine in the World Trade Organization, announced that his country is preparing a lawsuit against Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. Additionally, if the Polish government does not change its decision, Kyiv plans to retaliate.

- We will be forced to take retaliatory actions against additional products and will ban the import of fruit and vegetables from Poland - Kaczka announced.

The representative of Ukraine also said that the justification for Poland and Hungary's decision to protect the interests of their farmers is wrong.

- The Polish ban will not help farmers, it will not affect prices, because prices are global – what they do is based on public opinion – he said.

The decision is inconsistent with the lawAccording to Kaczka, the aim of the lawsuit is to prove that the actions of Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary are illegal. Moreover, they question whether international partners can trust that the European Union speaks with one voice and that decisions made by its institutions will be implemented by all member states.

- For years, the European Commission was the trade negotiator and the institution responsible for trade policy throughout the EU. And we worked on this basis – said the representative of Ukraine.

Kyiv will limit exports

The deputy minister also admitted that Ukraine is ready to introduce export restrictions in order to prevent negative effects on the markets of EU countries. He also announced that Kiev wants to introduce real-time licenses for grain exports in order to slow down the process and allow for an efficient response to potential crises.

According to Kaczka, appropriate legal steps will be taken on Monday, September 18. The lawsuit is to be brought before the World Trade Organization so that “the whole world can see how EU member states behave towards their trading partners.”