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Ukraine files lawsuit against Hungary, Poland and Slovakia
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Kyiv sues Hungary, Poland and Slovakia for refusing to lift the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products. Ukraine is particularly furious at Hungary for extending the list of agricultural goods banned.
The European Commission on Friday lifted the import restrictions on wheat, maize, sunflower and rapeseed introduced on 2 May. In response, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia introduced national bans on agricultural raw materials and foodstuffs from Ukraine, Economx reports.
Bulgaria has not extended the restrictions, Romania is waiting for Kyiv’s proposals on export restrictions.
Ukraine is suing Hungary, Poland and Slovakia at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for refusing to lift the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products under their national jurisdiction, Ukraine’s deputy trade minister Taras Kachka told Politico.
“In our eyes these measures of Hungary and Poland is a statement of total distrust to the European Commission,”
Kachka said.
Poland, Hungary and Slovakia’s open defiance of Brussels is not only an internal EU issue. It also raises the biggest systemic concern: whether international trading partners can trust Brussels to speak for the European Union.
While Slovakia has simply extended the EU’s previous ban on four cereals, Poland imposed a further ban on Ukrainian flour and fodder over the weekend. According to Kachka, Hungary is going even further:
it is banning 25 more products that were previously off limits, including meat.
According to the deputy minister, these arbitrary bans are ridiculous. He believes that Hungary has practically announced that it is blocking all trade with Ukraine, and is completely ignoring the decision of Brussels.
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Banning imports from Ukraine to keep prices high….protecting Hungarian families that will pay much more!
– Hungary is self-sufficient in food production. Hungary does need to import citrus fruit due to climate limitations.
– Hungarian grain has higher protein content than Ukrainian Monsanto genetically altered grain. Why would you want to feed the population with inferior food products.
– Ukraine’s use of fertilizers is rampant while, Hungarian Agriculture Dept. strictly controls the use of poisons.
– It is time for Ukraine to ship poisonous agricultural products to western EU nations. They should send their agricultural products to countries that are not self-sufficient, e.g., Austria and Germany.
– Interestingly, in late 1960s when Hungarian grain production was not sufficient, Hungary purchased grain from Canada and not neighboring Ukraine.
Ukraine is not a member of the EU. Until such time, the EU should not have power for force any country to buy inferior Ukrainian agricultural products on EU member nations. If the EU, particularly insists on being unreasonable, Poland, Slovakia will stop supporting Ukraine and Brussels will lose more influence.
Yet again, the wretched E.U. puts political dogma ahead of the European citizens’ needs. Why should Ukraine, which is not a member of the E.U. have free access to the internal Union’s market and undercut domestic producers!?! On the same note, what gives Ukraine locus standi to file a lawsuit against E.U.’s members?!? Much as I support Ukraine over Russia, Ukraine’s gross sense of self-entitlement really rubs me the wrong way. It’s a great way to alienate supporters.