RT.com
19 Sep 2023, 22:14 GMT+10
Agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski says the bloc will take appropriate measures in response to Kiev's WTO complaint
European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski has said he was surprised by Ukraine's decision to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The three EU states broke ranks with Brussels by refusing to lift embargoes on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products.
"I was quite surprised that Ukraine chose this path, given the enormous efforts that the Member States have made so far," said Wojciechowski, speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Monday.
He said that it would be "very easy" to show that Kiev had not suffered any damage to its grain export volumes, adding that despite the embargo by the three EU states, Ukraine's grain shipments have increased.
Nevertheless, the commissioner stressed that he hopes the EU and Ukraine will be able to resolve the issue "through dialogue and mutual agreement" and that he remains "optimistic" that such dialogue will take place. He also noted that Brussels does not currently intend to introduce any sanctions against the countries that have retained import bans on Ukrainian grain.
Wojciechowski's comments come after Kiev announced on Monday that it will sue Poland, Hungary and Slovakia in the WTO over their unilateral grain bans, and in turn, will consider retaliatory trade restrictions.
The three countries chose to keep their embargoes in place despite Brussels opting to lift restrictions on Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower shipments last week. Officials in Budapest, Warsaw and Bratislava have argued that cheap Ukrainian agricultural products undercut domestic prices and threaten the livelihoods of local farmers.
Kiev, however, has warned that it will sue any EU country that decides to ban its grain in contravention of decisions made in Brussels. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has stressed that it is "important to make sure European unity works on a bilateral level" and that "neighbors support Ukraine" in the conflict with Russia.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Japan Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Japan Herald.
More InformationBANGKOK, Thailand: In response to heightened Chinese activity in the South China Sea, the United States and the Philippines have ...
SYDNEY, Australia: In the wake of a volcanic eruption that sent a plume of ash into the sky, some residents ...
BEIJING, China: This week, Chinese authorities said that Myanmar authorities have handed over 31,000 telecom fraud suspects. The move comes ...
NEW DELHI, India: India and Australia are gearing up for discussions to enhance their strategic, defense, and security alliances in ...
The Israeli prime minister said that he intends to root out the ?poisonous? ideology from Palestinian mosques and schoolsIsrael will ...
Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 28 (ANI): India skipper Suryakumar Yadav hailed all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for his record-breaking ton against the ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed in positive territory despite a volatile day Tuesday. Spending much time in ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: On November 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled three more brands of whole and pre-cut ...
DETROIT, Michigan: US electric vehicle (EV) sales are expected to reach a record of 9% of all passenger vehicles this ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed marginally lower as traders returned to their desks Monday following the Thanksgiving ...
OMAHA, Nebraska: On November 21, Warren Buffett announced a donation of Berkshire Hathaway stocks worth some US$866 million to four ...
HONOLULU, Hawaii: The islands' leaders are working on streamlining the travel process for Japanese tourists, making it more convenient for ...