Bulgaria prepares temporary ban on food imports from Ukraine except transit goods

The Council of Ministers will discuss tomorrow, April 19, a decision on a temporary ban on food imports from Ukraine, except for goods in transit to other countries, caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Yavor Gechev, told BNT’s programme "More from the Day", on April 18.

The ban will include a wide range of foods such as various types of grain and grain products (wheat, rye, sunflower, buckwheat, barley, rye, oatmeal, soybeans, flaxseed), honey, milk, fruits and vegetables - fresh and processed, meat, canola, wine and ethyl alcohol.

The duration of the ban has not been specified and it could be lifted if the pressure on Bulgarian farmers eases, Gechev added.

According to the agriculture minister, the current corridors of food imports from Ukraine are distorted and do not comply with the principles of European solidarity.

He pointed out that Bulgaria is in solidarity with Ukraine and supports it, but the problem is with the EU import mechanism itself, which allows production to accumulate in the peripheral countries, while the others do not show the necessary solidarity.

"Not only we take less money in comparison with our partners, but we are on the front line of Ukrainian exports. It's not just grains that are a problem. We have more costs because we don't use a lot of chemicals, they are banned in the EU and that makes production more expensive, and there are no such requirements in Ukraine. What we want is internal solidarity. If the Commission is going to replace solidarity with fines, it will not be the EU philosophy that I know and want. I am a convinced European and I believe that our voice should be heard and respected," he said.

The Agriculture Minister pointed out that food imported from Ukraine is subject to additional enhanced phytosanitary control in the country to ensure its safe content.

He added that Bulgaria was the first to raise the issue more than half a year ago, but there has been no reaction from Brussels yet. Now, several other European countries neighbouring Ukraine have taken action in this direction.

"We are in solidarity with Ukraine, but this should not be at the expense of something else - what, should we choose who goes bankrupt? Three countries have already made declarations to stop imports. If we don't stop imports, then everything that goes to the corridor to Poland and Hungary will end up in Romania and Bulgaria. That is to say, if we do not stop the equivalent measure with the other colleagues at the moment, then, in effect, the corridors will be shifted towards our direction. I expect Brussels to understand that financial compensation is not what is important in this case, but another kind of solidarity is important, which should be the same for all farmers," he said.

On Friday, the Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture will visit Bulgaria, Gechev added.