Romania and Ukraine will work together for a month on a plan to control Ukrainian grain exports, Romania’s Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu announced on 20 September, Reuters reported.
According to Florin Barbu, within 30 days, after which the export control system in Ukraine should come into force, Romania will create a “clear import licensing procedure” to protect Romanian farmers.
“I am confident that this mechanism, proposed by the European Commission, accepted by Ukraine and agreed upon by us in the interests of farmers, will be fully operational,” Barbu said.
The Romanian Agriculture Minister also said that Bucharest plans to issue import licenses only to Romanian farmers and processors who need to replenish stocks, not to intermediaries. All imports to Romania will be checked for food safety, the Romanian Minister said.
Romania is one of five Eastern European EU countries, along with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, that have experienced a sharp increase in imports of Ukrainian grain following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Russian blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
The inflow of Ukrainian grain to Eastern Europe destabilized local markets. It sparked farmers’ protests, leading the EU to approve restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports until 15 September while allowing grain transit through Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to other countries.
Instead of EU import restrictions, Ukraine proposed to the European Commission, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia an export control plan for wheat, corn, sunflower, and rapeseed to protect their domestic markets.
Nevertheless, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary announced unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian imports, prompting Ukraine to file a complaint to the World Trade Organization against Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.
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