The Tusk government wants to return duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU.
Amid pledges of commitment to support Ukraine, the new Polish government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk intends to maintain the protectionist policies of its predecessors and will oppose the extension of the free trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU. The Financial Times reports this.
The European Commission is expected to propose to EU member states to extend until June 2025 the agreement under which Ukraine was temporarily exempted from customs tariffs and export quotas to the EU due to the Russian invasion. However, the decision will be made on the basis of a majority vote, so Poland’s position will not affect the result, FT notes.
“The interests of Polish farmers, our food security and profitable production are a priority,” Polish Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michal Kolodziejczak said recently.
Journalists noted that the desire of Donald Tusk’s government to continue the policies of its predecessors from the right-wing populist Law and Justice party contradicts the promise he made just a month ago when he took office.
“It underscores the difficulty for the Polish prime minister to balance his pro-European agenda with the interests of farmers and transporters who want to maintain the import ban and have been blocking the country’s border crossings with Ukraine since November to force the government to back its demands.”
The publication recalls that after taking office, Tusk did not dare to give the order to the Polish police and border guards to forcefully unblock the border.
On Friday, Tusk said Poland would continue to provide full support to Ukraine in its war against Russia, but he also pledged to protect key sectors of the Polish economy from unfair competition. At the same time, he repeated the thesis of his predecessors that EU assistance to Ukrainian agriculture is an incentive for agro-oligarchs, not small farmers.
Ukrainian-Polish relations: latest news
As wrote, in early January the Polish government came to an agreement with Polish farmers who were blocking one of the checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. In exchange for benefits and grants, the farmers agreed to end their protest.
However, Polish carriers still continue to block the border, who also do not like competition from Ukraine. According to the State Border Guard Service, as of the morning of January 15, approximately 1,200 cargo vehicles are expected to travel in the direction of Ukraine in Poland in the directions to Rawa Ruska, Krakovets and Yagodin.
