One of the farmers, who took part in the talks held at the Dialogue Centre in Warsaw, mentioned that discussions covered minor details, including proposed changes to the Green Deal.
Regarding the border with Ukraine, farmer Andrzej Sobociński told reporters, Prime Minister Tusk "stated that he wouldn't close it. Instead, he plans to address the surplus of grain in the Polish market using national funds."
Following the meeting, the Prime Minister's Chancellery issued a a statement, saying that Donald Tusk proposed easing the regulations of the Green Deal, including on leaving soil fallow, as well as providing state aid to reduce surplus grain.
According to the farmers, the Prime Minister conveyed that decisions altering the Green Deal's assumptions would be made by the European Commission after March 15.
Polish farmers unions, who have been protesting since the end of last year, not only advocate for changes in the Green Deal but also demand stringent inspections and verification of goods crossing Polish-Ukrainian border checkpoints, including transit.
They also demand the addition of more raw materials and items to the list of goods subject to limited import into Poland through quotas or mutually recognized licences.
During the European People's Party congress in Bucharest earlier this week, the Polish Prime Minister discussed EU-Ukraine trade relations with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
He announced that the agreements reached at this meeting would be presented during discussions with the protesters.
According to a report by Reuters, Tusk is confronted with the challenging task of managing competing interests, navigating between addressing farmers' concerns and maintaining steadfast support for Kyiv, particularly in a year marked by local and European elections.
The Polish PM emphasized that market disruptions stemmed not only from imports from Ukraine but also from Russia and its ally Belarus. Recently, Donald Tusk announced Poland's intention to request the EU to prohibit imports of agricultural products from both Russia and Belarus.
The increase in imports of agricultural products from Ukraine has been strictly tied to the Russian invasion, which resulted in the EU's decision to expand its markets in a bid to support Kyiv.
(ał)
Source: IAR, Reuters