There are currently a number of bilateral discussions ongoing between Poland and Ukraine. The conversations have been taking place between the Minister of Agriculture in Poland, Czesław Siekierski, and several other ministers, and representatives of the Ukrainian government about the trade of agri-food products. Talks are also ongoing between the European Commission and Ukraine about a larger trade agreement involving the entire European Union and Ukraine. Poland has identified a number of products that are considered to be sensitive, including grains and frozen raspberries for instance. Farmers are calling for imports into the European Union – including into Poland – to be subjected to a system of quotas and licenses. Under such a system, the Ukrainian side would issue export licenses for its exporters, while the Polish side would issue import licenses. Only the agreement of both parties, both ministries, would guarantee that trade exchange, transactions, would occur.
“Currently, there is a discussion with the Ukrainian side about catalogs of such products. We know that Ukraine also has its preferences – in some products it wants to protect its market,” said Mirosław Maliszewski, a Member of the Polish Parliament and Chairman of the Parliament’s Agricultural Committee, to eNewsroom.pl. “In some areas, it could block our exports, as we do not only import from Ukraine, but we also sell to Ukraine. Therefore, it is important that these talks quickly end with the signing of an agreement and the establishment of the terms for licensing and limit the trade exchange and respond in crisis situations. If excess import of a certain product were to disrupt our internal market, then intervention would occur. Of course, the European Union must approve this, so that individual member states can apply their own national intervention instruments in their trade relations with Ukraine,” explained Maliszewski.
