Bulgaria Wants to Lift the Ban on Imports of Ukrainian Agricultural Products

The Economic Policy Committee of the Bulgarian Parliament has voted on a draft decision to lift the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products after 15 September this year. 

This was reported by Forbes Bulgaria.

According to Forbes Bulgaria, during the voting, 10 members of the committee voted in favor of lifting the ban, while four voted against, and two abstained. The initiative will now be considered by the Bulgarian Parliament during a plenary session.

The proposal to lift the embargo on Ukrainian agricultural products has sparked lively debates in Bulgaria. Some representatives of the local agribusiness expressed their objections, stating that they were "shocked" by such a decision, which, in their opinion, threatens the country's agricultural sector.

It's worth noting that on September 12, the Polish government announced that if the European Commission does not extend the ban on Ukrainian agricultural products after September 15, Poland will introduce such a ban at the "national level."

In turn, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has previously stated that in the event of such a development, Ukraine will be forced to apply to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) arbitration for compensation for violations of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

"Despite the war and Russia's blockade of our ports, Ukraine is complying with its obligations under both the Association Agreement with the EU and WTO law. We had no intention of harming Polish farmers and have no intention of harming them. We really appreciate the support from the Polish people and Polish families! But in the event of a violation of trade law in the interests of pre-election political populism, Ukraine will be forced to apply to WTO arbitration for compensation for violation of GATT rules",- the Prime Minister tweeted.

Russia blocked Ukrainian ports following its full-scale invasion in 2022, effectively halting Ukrainian agrarian exports by sea. Given Ukraine's leadership in the global agricultural market, the Russian blockade posed a threat to global food security. International partners and Kyiv had to explore alternative routes for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, primarily through Poland and Romania.

The EU initially opened its borders to the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. However, farmers in some EU countries began to complain about additional pressure on their domestic markets due to Ukrainian grains and demanded compensation.

In response, on May 2, 2023, the European Commission temporarily restricted the sale of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. 

On June 5, the European Commission extended the embargo on Ukrainian agricultural products until September 15, 2023. In July, several countries expressed their intention to continue demanding the extension of the ban.