Slovakia extends and expands ban on agricultural imports from Ukraine
The Slovak government has decided to extend the ban on grain and other agricultural goods imports from Ukraine during a meeting on Nov. 29, according to Czech news outlet Novinky.cz.
The report says that the government, led by recently elected PM Robert Fico, also decided to tighten cross-border transit rules. In addition to the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds, the import of honey, sugar, malt, and soy from Ukraine has now also been prohibited.
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The Slovak Agriculture Ministry stated these measures are necessary primarily due to the "lack of a pan-European decision on Ukrainian goods."
On Nov. 22, Slovakia stated that they were awaiting proposals from the European Commission regarding a systematic solution to the problem of importing Ukrainian grain.
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On Sept. 15, the European Commission decided not to extend the ban on importing Ukrainian grains into Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, provided that Ukraine complied with certain rules.
The ban, which had been in effect since May 2, was instituted in response to a sharp increase in Ukrainian grain imports following the Russian invasion, which had provoked protests by local farmers.
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Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia decided to continue their unilateral bans on Ukrainian grain imports, contrary to the Commission's decision.
Later, the European Commission urged Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia to be “constructive” following their decision to extend the ban on imports.
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