Ukraine is taking legal action against three EU member states that continue restricting imports of Ukrainian agricultural products. This concerns Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, Ukrainian trade envoy Taras Kashka told news site POLITICO.
“It is important to demonstrate that this is legally incorrect.”
Ukraine is known as an essential producer of agricultural products, but due to the war, it can no longer simply export goods such as grain via the Black Sea. Some neighbouring EU countries fear that their markets will be flooded with agricultural products from the Eastern European country.
The European Union banned the export of agricultural products to some concerned member states last spring but announced on Friday that those import restrictions will be lifted. To the annoyance of Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia are now taking measures themselves, even though this is not allowed.
Trade Representative Kashka called that action “ridiculous” to POLITICO and said it could also raise broader international concerns. He wondered out loud if trading partners of European countries still trust that the EU will speak for the member states in trade matters.
The Ukrainian official announced that a complaint will be filed with the World Trade Organization (WTO), which monitors compliance with trade agreements. “I think the whole world needs to see how EU member states behave towards trading partners and their own Union.”
