A responsible government should take steps to shield its producers, farmers, and market, said PiS MP Radoslaw Fogiel in an interview with PAP Studio, referencing Poland’s decision to ban food imports from Ukraine.
Government spokesman Piotr Muller told PAP on Sunday that Poland is engaging with the European Commission about the ban on imports, including transit, of agri food products from Ukraine.
The move is possible because of the safety clause, Muller stressed.
A new dispute with the EU?
Earlier, Arianna Podesta, spokeswoman for the EC on Economic Affairs, stated that trade policy is an exclusive EU competence, making unilateral actions unacceptable.
Asked in the PAP Studio whether the decision to halt imports from Ukraine without EC agreement opens a new front in Warsaw-Brussels relations, Fogiel replied that it does not open a front at all.
These steps are not directed at Ukraine, he emphasized. Ukraine has support and the international community recognizes its need to win the war. Yet these are actions a responsible government should undertake to safeguard its producers, farmers, and market.
The head of the foreign affairs committee of the parliament noted that EU law allows member states to act in various circumstances, including security-related ones.
He added that he hopes the European Commission will avoid using disputes with member states to spur political maneuvering. The goal, he said, is for the Commission to acknowledge the realities faced by member states and support their positions rather than escalate tensions.
“Strong treaty bases”
Fogiel expressed the belief that Poland’s move could spur cooperation from the Commission in the interests of member states. He noted that other countries in the region, such as Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary, are facing similar situations.
When asked about a potential unfavorable ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding the import and transit ban on Ukrainian agri food products, Fogiel stated that Poland has solid treaty grounds for the action.
Government spokesman Muller indicated that such decisions can be defended if necessary. He expressed hope that the Commission would understand the situation and refrain from using it to wage political battles with member states, instead recognizing its role as supporting the union’s members.
On Saturday the Minister of Development and Technology, Waldemar Buda, signed a regulation announcing the import ban on Ukrainian agricultural products, effective June 30 of the current year. The ban covers grains, sugar, eggs, and other items. The regulation, published in the Journal of Laws, took effect on the day of its announcement.
According to the annex to the regulation, the import ban applies to grain, sugar, dried fodder, seeds, hops, flax and hemp, fruits and vegetables, processed products from fruits and vegetables, wine, beef and veal, milk and dairy products, pork, sheep and goat meat, eggs, poultry meat, ethanol of agricultural origin, bee products, and other agricultural products.
Following Poland’s decision, Hungary also temporarily blocked imports of Ukrainian grain, oilseeds, and other farm products to shield its domestic market, said Istvan Nagy, Hungary’s Agriculture Minister, on Saturday.
The situation has drawn attention to debates over transit and trade policies within the region and the EU’s broader approach to acts of member state action in matters affecting intra-EU commerce.