Polish, Romanian PMs ask EU for mechanism to trace Ukraine grain exports
28/03/2023 09:51
BUCHAREST, March 28 (Reuters) - Romania and Poland are
in talks with the European Commission over export tracing
mechanisms for Ukrainian grains to ensure local farmers are not
hurt by a flood of cheap imports, the Polish and Romanian prime
ministers said on Tuesday.
Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters, has
seen its Black Sea ports blocked since Russia invaded more than
a year ago and has been forced to find alternative shipping
routes through European Union states Poland and Romania.
But logistical bottlenecks mean that large quantities of
Ukrainian grains, which are cheaper than those produced in the
European Union, have ended up in central European states,
hurting prices and sales of local farmers.
Romanian and Polish Prime Ministers Nicolae Ciuca and
Mateusz Morawiecki told a business conference in Bucharest their
governments were working on solutions with the EU.
"Together we are engaged in a process to discuss with the
European Commission about what the mechanisms should be to
enforce the traceability of Ukrainian exports and final
destinations," Ciuca said.
Morawiecki said they "are fighting together for this grain
to leave our countries, for the European Union to effectively
help us in the implementation of trade policy, which is in the
best strategic interest of Ukraine and Central Europe, but also
in the best economic interest of Poland and Romania."
Earlier this month, Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea
said the European Commission has estimated farmers from Poland,
Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia have lost 417 million
euros ($451.15 million) overall from the inflows of cheaper
Ukrainian grains on their markets.
Daea also said the Commission aimed to hand out compensation
worth 56.3 million euros to Polish, Bulgarian and Romanian
farmers, with a final decision expected on March 30.
($1 = 0.9243 euros)
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by
Sharon Singleton)
((luiza.ilie@thomsonreuters.com; +4021 527 0312; https://www.reuters.com/journalists/luiza-ilie))