Poland and Ukraine ban wheat import from Ukraine

Subject: International Relations

Section: Msc

Context:

Poland and Hungary have decided to ban imports of grain and other food from neighbouring Ukraine.

More about the news:

Poland and Hungary have imposed a ban on food grain from Ukraine until 30 June including a prohibition on imports of sugar, eggs, meat, milk and other dairy products and fruits and vegetables.
The bans are a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Fearing the worst consequences, the European Union then lifted duties on grain from Ukraine to ease distribution to those global markets. However, instead of the grain transiting seamlessly onto global markets, it has remained in Poland and caused a grain glut.
This grain glut has brought down the prices drastically, causing massive losses to the Polish farming community.
The European Union has criticized bans by Poland and Hungary on imports of Ukrainian grain and other foods over the weekend, saying the unilateral moves were “unacceptable.”

More about European Union:

The European Union is a group of 27 countries that operate as a cohesive economic and political block.
It was formed in 1993 after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty
The European Union Headquarters is located in Brussels, Belgium
The Maastricht Treaty is also known as the Treaty of the European Union. The Maastricht Treaty was amended thrice. The amendments are listed below.
- Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)
- Treaty of Nice (2001)
- Treaty of Lisbon (2007)
The objectives of forming the European Union are listed below.
- To increase political cooperation
- To enhance economic integration by creating a single currency, the EURO.
- Unified security and foreign policy
- Common citizenship Rights
- Enhanced cooperation in the areas of judiciary, immigration and asylum