Polish authorities promise to unblock transit, but will not lift the ban on grain imports from Ukraine

The mayor of Dorohusk did not agree to the new protest of Polish transporters at the Dorohusk checkpoint planned for December 18 and withdrew the permission for the current action, citing a legitimate reason - the threat of large property, including financial losses of entrepreneurs, - reports the Polish publication RMF24.

"The protest affected not only drivers, but also businessmen, other workers, social groups who do not have a job, which became a determining factor," said the mayor.

However, the strikers said they will appeal the refusal in court, and on December 14 they will apply for new protests in other places.

Polish transporters blocked the Yagodin-Dorogusk checkpoint from November 6, and truck traffic was restored only on December 11 at 2:00 p.m.

At the same time, in an interview with Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, the new Minister of Agriculture of Poland, Czeslaw Siekerski, stated that "the opening of the EU market for Ukrainian agricultural products can destabilize not only the Polish market, but also the whole of Europe, and the previous government did not take timely measures to prevent this."

He promised to "do everything to maintain the current embargo and develop joint market solutions with the EU and Ukraine in the matter of restoring the Ukrainian agricultural industry, in particular, to take measures to comply with food safety and quality rules."

According to the minister, Poland will not be able to compete with Ukraine in the agricultural sector, since the latter has a huge production potential of agriculture, a better climate and black earth soils. However, Poland can use cheap Ukrainian raw materials to develop its own processing and intermediary services.

"In addition, Poland can use cheap Ukrainian raw materials for processing into biofuel with subsequent re-export to world markets. This will require the expansion of railway and road infrastructure, as well as the construction of a grain terminal for the export of processed raw materials. Polish producers and exporters of food must find competitive advantages not only in the price of products, but also in added value and creation of joint brands," added Minister Siekerski.

We will remind that the European Commission did not see significant negative consequences of the supply of agricultural products from Ukraine to the EU markets.