On Saturday, the EU decree came into force, which replaces the member states' decrees in the matter of Ukrainian grain imports, the Minister of Agriculture announced at a press conference held at the Hungarian-Ukrainian border crossing in Záhony.
István Nagy called it good news that it is still not possible to import grain from Ukraine to the territory of Hungary and distribute it here, which means that the previous regulations regarding wheat, corn, canola and sunflower remain in force.
This decree is enforced as strictly and orderly as the measures taken within the jurisdiction of the member states - emphasized the head of the ministry.
The Minister of Agriculture assessed that the cooperation of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania forced the Brussels bureaucrats to back down.
"They finally understood that the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products into the European Union causes such a high degree of internal market disruption that it must be dealt with in any case"
István Nagy said.
He reminded that Hungary has drawn Brussels' attention to the need for restrictive measures many times, but so far his request has "fallen on deaf ears". However, as a result of the brave decision of the five member states, i.e. the individual import ban, they also realized the importance of joint action in Brussels, he said.
He added that the EU regulation does not regulate the obligations of contracts before May 2, so the Hungarian regulation applies to previous contracts.
The Minister of Agriculture expressed his hope that with this decision the Hungarian grain trade can finally start, and that the grain of domestic producers can go to the markets where the farmers intended it.
He noted that there is a verbal agreement that the EU will maintain this EU procedure even after June 5, but the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture is waiting for a written statement on this from the decision-makers in Brussels.
In order for five countries to withdraw from their own member state decisions, sufficient guarantees are needed, István Nagy stated.
The head of the ministry emphasized at the press conference that Hungary will not leave any loopholes open, and will not continue to allow Ukrainian grain to enter the country in an uncontrolled manner.
Transit deliveries are ensured, the solidarity corridor is operational, shipments entering the border are documented, checked, sealed and strictly monitored until they leave the country, he explained.
István Nagy stated that it must be ensured that the Ukrainian grain flowing into Europe, produced under much cheaper production conditions, reaches its traditional markets and does not overwhelm the entire EU market. However, for this, it is necessary to free up sea routes and increase the capacity of sea ports, he added.
Featured image: István Fekete
