The EU executive’s policy proposal was confirmed by the bloc's Polish Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski on Thursday, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s polskieradio24.pl website reported.
Wojciechowski told the European Parliament that under the plan, the EU would finance the transport of Ukrainian grain to designated ports, for shipment to Africa and Asia.
According to Wojciechowski, such subsidies would help streamline the transit of Ukrainian grain, while the import of grain to Ukraine’s five EU neighbours, including Poland, would remain banned, polskieradio24.pl reported.
Earlier this month, an official taking part in a meeting between Ukraine, its five EU neighbours and the European Commission, told Polish Radio that transit subsidies would be “the best solution” and “wouldn’t cost that much.”
Another official said that an EU subsidy of EUR 30 per tonne would enable Ukraine to export 10 million tonnes of grain at a cost of EUR 300 million, polskieradio24.pl reported.
During the talks, Ukraine also backed the proposal, according to Polish Radio.
Meanwhile, the five “frontline countries,” including Poland, said that transit subsidies would have to be coupled with an extension of the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain until the end of the year.
The embargo is due to expire on September 15, which would cause further issues with the influx of Ukrainian grain, they added.
Last month, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Poland would not open its borders to Ukrainian grain when the current EU ban expires on September 15, but wanted the embargo to be extended at least until the end of the year.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 554 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, polskieradio24.pl