The European Commission is weighing a course of action to support Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia at the World Trade Organization in relation to Ukraine’s complaints about the ban on Ukrainian grain imports. This move reflects ongoing discussions within Brussels about how to handle the dispute through multilateral trade mechanisms.
Under EU law, the Commission participates in WTO proceedings in coordination with member states. Recent documents circulated from Brussels outline how the Commission intends to engage with the three affected countries as part of a broader strategy to manage the legal and diplomatic dimensions of the case.
The core aim, as described in the EU briefings, is to ensure consistency among the participating nations by aligning legal arguments and procedural steps, while also preparing to respond to Ukraine’s requests for consultations on behalf of Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia if those consultations proceed within the WTO framework.
It is noted that the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports by EU members ended on a specified date, after which Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland chose to ban similar imports from Ukraine. Ukraine subsequently filed complaints with the WTO outlining concerns over these measures and seeking resolution through the organization’s processes.
Earlier, there had been indications that Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia might not participate directly in a joint EU coordination platform focused on grain supply issues. The evolving stance suggests a shift toward greater collaboration in representing member states’ interests at the WTO, even as national positions on import restrictions continue to be debated within the bloc. [Citation: trade policy briefings and Brussels communications, attribution noted]