Shmyhal voiced 5 points of the border blockade plan for Poland
23 February 22:37
Ukraine has developed and is offering Poland a plan to unblock the border called the Plan of Understanding. This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, reports
Ukraine’s plan consists of five steps. Among them:
- Ukraine agrees to the restrictions proposed by the European Commission on agricultural exports. These include restrictions on poultry, eggs, and sugar. They must be exported to the EU without quotas and duties in volumes no greater than the average for 2022 and 2023. If more is exported, restrictions will be reintroduced. The Ukrainian side is also ready to continue the mechanism of verification of exports of grain, corn, sunflower and rapeseed. This means that these four groups of goods will not enter the Polish market without Poland’s permission.
- Ukraine is sending an appeal to the European Commission with a proposal to conduct an urgent screening, i.e. an analysis of clusters 4 and 5, which include agricultural policy and transport. This is necessary in order to eliminate manipulations regarding the quality of agricultural products and whether support for Ukrainian farmers meets the standards of the World Trade Organisation.
- the Polish government is being asked to adopt a joint appeal to the European Commission calling for a ban on Russian agricultural exports to the EU. Shmygal said that in 11 months of 2023, Russia sold €2.5 billion worth of agricultural products and food to Europe. 5.1 million tonnes of food. For the whole of 2022 – 4.9 million tonnes. In addition, Ukraine has two more proposals for the European Commission: to consider additional restrictions and enhanced monitoring of third-country agricultural imports to the EU, as is currently the case with Ukraine, and to launch joint control at the border between Ukraine and the EU and expand the pilot project on the exchange of customs information;
- create a “Trilateral Headquarters: Ukraine, Poland, European Commission” to be co-chaired by the agriculture ministers of Ukraine and Poland and a representative of the European Commission. Ukrainian and Polish agricultural associations should be involved in the work of this headquarters;
- since the Polish government has included border crossing points with Ukraine and relevant sections of the railway in the list of critical infrastructure, the Ukrainian government has also made appropriate decisions to recognise border crossing points with its western neighbours as critical infrastructure.
Shmyhal said that on 23 February, more than 9,000 trucks were stuck at the border on both sides.
“The trilateral headquarters should work around the clock, and the issue of blocking the border should be resolved much earlier than 28 March, the date when a joint meeting of the governments of Ukraine and Poland is to take place. Otherwise, Ukraine reserves the right to apply mirror measures at the checkpoints,”
– the Prime Minister stressed.
In addition, the Prime Minister reminded that for the last 5 months Ukraine has not been selling its grain to the Polish market – “Ukraine does not sell its corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed to the Polish market.”
On 16 September 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to licence the export of some agricultural products. This means that it is now impossible to export grain, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds to the Polish market without a permit from Poland. Now, there are no such permits, and therefore no exports.
Shmyhal also added that Ukrainian grain is only in transit through Poland, with only 5% of our agricultural exports passing through the Polish border today. The main route is the “grain corridor” through the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, the blockade is affecting the entire Polish-Ukrainian trade, the economy of both countries. It is not only Ukraine that is losing from it, but also Polish entrepreneurs who export $12 billion worth of goods to our market every year.
As you know, on 23 February, not a single representative of the Polish government arrived at the border to meet with the Ukrainian delegation.
Border blockade
on 9 February 2024, Polish farmers launched a new nationwide strike and blockade of the border with Ukraine, which will last until 10 March. It was initiated by the independent farmers’ trade union Solidarity. Starting from 12 February, they plan to block all checkpoints. The main demand of the protesters is to cancel the preferential trade regime with Ukraine and return the permit system for importing goods into Poland.
Problems at the border began on 6 November 2023, when Polish transport companies began blocking truck traffic at three major checkpoints on the Ukrainian border: “Korczowa-Krakowiec, Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, and Dorohusk-Yagodyn. One of the requirements was to reinstate the permits for Ukrainian carriers that had been cancelled under the agreement with the EU by 30 June 2024.
On6 January, truck traffic to the Medyka-Shehyni border crossingin Poland resumed. Three other border crossing points were opened on 17 January, namely Dorohusk – Yagodyn, Hrebenne – Rava-Ruska, and Korczowa – Krakivets.
In Romania, on 13 and 14 January, local farmers blocked the movement of Ukrainian trucks through the Siret checkpoint, and on 15 January, they began blocking the Vicovu de Sus checkpoint. on 18 January, Romanian farmers began blockading the Dyakove-Halmeu checkpoint. However, as of 20 January, these checkpoints were opened.
Currently, the blockade of the border continues – “Polish farmers” have blocked truck traffic at six checkpoints. According to the State Border Guard Service, there are more than 2,500 trucks in the queues.
Meanwhile, Poland has already imposed an embargo on Ukrainian grain, according to Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak.
Polish Minister of Development and Technology Krzysztof Hetman, in turn, said that Poland could impose an embargo on all Ukrainian agricultural products.