Ukraine set to sue Poland, Hungary and Slovakia over food import bans

Ukraine intends to sue Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia over agricultural product prohibitions, Ukrainian Trade Representative Taras Kachka said to Politico in an interview published on Monday. The European Union introduced restrictions in May, allowing Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to prohibit domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds but allowing transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere. On Friday, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary imposed their own curbs on Ukrainian grain imports after the European Commission’s executive committee opted not to extend its embargo on imports into Ukraine’s five EU neighbours. Warsaw, Bratislava and Budapest say they are acting in the interests of their economies and that their moves are intended to protect their farmers from a glut of products. “It is important to prove that these actions are legally wrong. And that’s why we will start legal proceedings tomorrow,” Politico quoted Kachka as saying. Kachka told Politico that Ukraine could also impose reciprocal measures on Poland if Warsaw did not drop its additional measures. “We would be forced to retaliate on the additional products, and would prohibit the import of fruit and vegetables from Poland,” Politico quoted him as saying. Kyiv had already said it could seek international arbitration over the restrictions. The EU allowed its ban to expire on Friday after Ukraine said it would take measures to tighten control of exports to neighbouring countries. Kachka said Kyiv was ready to “take on the responsibility to ensure that export from Ukraine is not creating any tsunami in neighbouring countries” and would impose a system of “real time” export licenses for grains.