The Polish authorities signed an agreement with local farmers on the temporary closure of the border for the transit of agricultural products from Ukraine.
What is known about the agreement between the Polish authorities and farmers to limit Ukrainian agricultural products' transit
The document, which also guarantees Polish farmers subsidies from the authorities for every ton of grain, was signed by representatives of the protest, the Minister of Agriculture, Czeslaw Siekierski, and the State Secretary of the Ministry, Michal Kolodziejczak.
The document continues the ban on the export of agricultural products from Ukraine, which has been in effect since mid-September last year.
It mainly discusses the ban on exporting wheat, corn, wheat flour, rapeseed, and sunflower.
In addition, Siekierski plans to apply to the Council of Ministers with an initiative to prohibit the transit of these categories of agricultural products through the territory of Poland from April 1 this year.
In the signed document, both sides also consider it necessary to develop detailed rules for trade in agri-food products between Poland and Ukraine, but also emphasize that the difficult situation in agriculture is the result of Russia's aggression against Kyiv.
The representatives of the farmers in the agreement declare the support of their country's government for changes to the "Green Agreement".
It is primarily about replacing mandatory fallow with a voluntary eco-scheme and simplifying other rules for farmers.
What is known about the position of the EU and Ukraine
According to Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe have previously agreed to extend the import of Ukrainian goods without duties and quotas until June 2025.
He noted that the relevant agreements should have already been adopted in April.
On Wednesday, March 19, the European Parliament and the European Council reached a preliminary agreement on continuing trade liberalization measures for Ukraine in response to Russia's aggressive war.
Shmyhal noted that this "economic visa-free" policy will allow Ukraine to maintain export dynamics, support Ukrainian manufacturers, and strengthen the foundation for further integration into the EU Single Market.
