This is an absolute failure of public policy; This is the negligence of the government of Mateusz Morawiecki, which did not foresee the obvious consequences of allowing Ukrainian grain into the Polish market without any checks, said the head of the KO club, Borys Budka, in Słupsk, while assessing the causes of tensions between Poland and Poland. Ukraine.
The European Commission has not extended the embargo on Ukrainian grain for five countries – Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania. Following the European Commission’s decision, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary extended the import ban on agricultural products from Ukraine.
On Monday, authorities in Kiev announced that they had filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia over the extension of the embargo on Ukrainian agricultural products by these countries. On Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Taras Kaczka indicated in an interview with “Rzeczpospolita” that Ukraine will introduce an embargo on Polish onions, tomatoes, cabbage and apples in the coming days.
The head of the KO Parliamentary Club, Borys Budka, said at a press conference in Słupsk (Pomeranian Voivodeship) that the issue of Ukrainian grain is an “absolute fiasco of government policy.”
This is the negligence of the Morawiecki government, which did not foresee the obvious consequences of allowing Ukrainian grain into the Polish market without any controls.
– added.
Last year it was time to take action. More than a year ago, Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned about what could happen on the grain market if the Polish government did not protect the interests of Polish farmers. Today they (those in power) are desperately trying to save and defend themselves against these consequences. Unfortunately, they are doing it in an absolutely chaotic way, bad for Poland’s interests, and above all they are doing it outside the European Union system, again failing to see that joint actions within the EU are much more effective.
– Budka noted.
The head of the KO club was also asked about the meeting between President Andrzej Duda and President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York. Andrzej Duda admitted on Tuesday that despite his plans, he could not meet Volodymyr Zelensky for organizational reasons. As he explained, the reason was delays in the schedule of leaders’ speeches at the UN General Assembly. However, he noted that it was possible that he would meet him later.
It is bad that the Polish president cannot meet the president of Ukraine. Let me remind you that no one has helped Ukraine like the Poles, no one has welcomed Ukraine with open arms like the Poles. In these first months of the war, the Poles bore the greatest burden of aid and we can be proud of that. And at the same time, the Polish President, the Polish Prime Minister and the Polish Ministers were unable to meet these future challenges
– said Budka.
According to him, the grain conflict with Ukraine can be resolved while protecting the interests of Polish farmers. He added that this requires three things: “European funds, a competent government and securing the infrastructure.”
Today is the time for good diplomatic efforts, time to remove incompetent people from power, and together within the EU to safeguard the interests of Polish farmers, to allow the transfer of grain from Polish territory with the simultaneous guarantee that this grain does not end up in the EU. on our market
– said Budka.
PSL attacks government over grain from Ukraine
Today it is clearly visible that the incompetence of the Polish government makes Ukraine apply to Polish farmers the same rules that the Polish government applied to Ukraine – MPs of the Polish People’s Party emphasized.
Former Minister of Agriculture, MP Marek Sawicki (PSL) stressed during a press conference in the Sejm on Wednesday that the Law and Justice Government has been responsible for economic, foreign and social policy in Poland for eight years.
Following a new border blockade on two grains, sunflower and rapeseed, Ukraine has retaliated against food products from Poland. During the 19 months of the Russian war in Ukraine, the Polish government completely failed to prepare the transportation infrastructure so that Ukrainian products could travel through Poland to other parts of the world.
– noted the PSL MP.
According to him, “the government also does not know how to talk about this issue within the EU” because – as he said – it “did not receive any support – apart from Slovakia and the Czech Republic – in extending the embargo on four products.”
Sawicki also pointed out that “all these products from Ukraine do not go to distant regions of the world, but end up on the European market and also disrupt the export possibilities of Polish food products.”
Today it is clearly visible that the incompetence of the Polish government causes Ukraine to apply to Polish farmers the same rules that the Polish government applied to Ukraine.
– noted the PSL MP.
While we are dealing with a situation where the Polish government is acting to the detriment of Polish farmers, the Polish government is also acting in favor of Ukrainian oligarchs and international companies, agroholdings that invest and finance the entire agriculture of Ukraine.
– said Sawicki.
MP Stefan Krajewski (PSL) pointed out that “we hear a lot of promises from those in power towards Polish farmers, and the result is a lack of effectiveness, a lack of specific action and ultimately no money for the Polish countryside.”
Farmers will no longer be misled
– added.
Ukraine’s complaint to the WTO against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia
On Monday, authorities in Kiev announced that they had filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia over the extension of the embargo on Ukrainian agricultural products by these countries. On Tuesday, a WTO spokesperson confirmed in response to a Reuters query that the Organization had received a complaint from Ukraine over the ban on food imports from that country. He said that formally this is a request for consultation and therefore the first step in legal proceedings.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Taras Kaczka indicated in an interview with “Rzeczpospolita” that Ukraine will introduce an embargo on Polish onions, tomatoes, cabbage and apples in the coming days. On Wednesday, Kaczka told RMF 24 that the implementation of the Ukrainian embargo is the last point of the action plan, and he expects it will not be implemented. He assured that the first point of the Ukrainian plan is to find an agreement with Poland.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Robert Telus, said in an interview with PAP that the Polish side is ready to find a solution to the problem regarding grain from Ukraine.
We await such conversations and are ready for such conversations to happen
– he emphasized.
We are open to finding a solution that secures the Polish market, protects Polish farmers and helps Ukraine
Telus added.
We want to help Ukraine with the transit, but it must be on the way, and not at the expense of Polish farmers. For me, Minister Kaczka’s speech somehow calmed a certain atmosphere that had been building up for two or three days. I think Ukraine has reconsidered the opinions it expressed before and the opinions it expressed
– said the Minister of Agriculture.
tkwl/PAP
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Source: wPolityce