Poland: Ukraine's admission to the EU puts EU agriculture at risk
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Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak says that Ukraine's entry into the European Union could subvert food security in the bloc.
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A farmer drives on a road, Poland, Thursday, July 7, 2022. (AP)
Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak said on Saturday that Ukraine's entry into the European Union could subvert food security in the bloc, laying off European farmers and causing an agricultural ordeal, after a decision was taken to establish negotiations concerning Ukraine's admission into the union on Thursday.
"Ukrainian agriculture is capable of destabilizing food security in any country of the European Union. If we want this, we can immediately open the doors and say, 'We are closing our agricultural enterprises because their work will not make sense," Kolodziejczak told Polish broadcaster RMF FM. He added that Ukrainian agriculture, which had been monopolized by 95 holdings ranging from land to railroad, would be chosen to dominate Polish produce.
"We must respect our interests, as, for example, Germany did when Poland joined the European Union. At the time, the labor market for Poles was frozen for eight years. Today, we could say that agricultural products from Ukraine – fresh and processed – should not enter Poland, for example, 20 years after Ukraine joins the EU," the official added.
Read more: Kiev neighbors defy EU ban lift, shut down Ukraine grain corridor
Poland cuts arms supplies to Ukraine over grain dispute
Ukrainian-Polish relations have stagnated with the beginning of a grain dispute between both countries. The conflict between stemmed from Poland's decision to prohibit the import of Ukrainian grain, a measure taken to safeguard the welfare of its agricultural sector.
In September of this year, the Prime Minister of Poland announced that they would cease sending weaponry to Ukraine to prioritize their defense. This decision comes shortly after Warsaw called in Ukraine's ambassador, leading to a dispute over grain exports.
Responding to a question on whether Warsaw would maintain its support for Kiev despite the disagreement over grain exports, Mateusz Morawiecki said, "We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons."
Read more: Ukraine files lawsuit against EU neighbors over ban on grain imports
