Poland reacts to Ukraine's proposal for grain licenses

Poland considers Ukraine's proposal to license agricultural products to be a good one.

This is reported with reference to the Minister of Agriculture of Poland Robert Telus, quoted by the Polish media outlet PAP.

Today, Telus spoke online with the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solsky about the transportation and sale of grain, as well as the new procedures proposed by Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian side said that if Poland says that it does not need four grain crops by the end of the year, no licenses will be issued. This is an issue that our side has to consider, but from the outside, this proposal looks like a good offer," Telus said.

According to him, this shifts the burden of responsibility to Poland: "We will make the decision, not the Ukrainian side."

At the same time, the minister believes it is important to develop long-term mechanisms.

"If we say that Ukraine wants to join the European Union, and it does, and we politically accept it, then if we do not work out such mechanisms today, they will never function well. So, we will certainly think about it," he added.

As a reminder, on September 15, the European Commission lifted the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products to five of Ukraine's neighboring countries. However, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia imposed unilateral bans at the national level. In response, Ukraine filed lawsuits with the World Trade Organization.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 27/09/2023