Poland insists on changing rules of agricultural trade with Ukraine, - Minister Sekerski
Poland emphasises that the influx of agricultural products from Ukraine has made production unprofitable not only in Poland, but farmers in other EU countries are already beginning to feel it.
This was stated by Polish Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Sekerski at a press conference after a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers of Agriculture in Brussels on Monday, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.
"Some rules should be introduced in the area of trade between Ukraine and the European Union, especially with Poland. Poland, rural people, farmers - we have all helped Ukraine, Ukrainians, and we want to continue to do so. But we have to distinguish humanitarian and military assistance from issues related to economic conditions, from trade, which should be conducted on a rational, normal basis, in accordance with the principles of a market economy," he said.
Sekerski also believes that European farmers need to be provided with financial assistance, as they have suffered the costs of the "green" course and the opening of the European market to agricultural products from outside the EU through no fault of their own.
The Polish minister said that the European Commission had set too high, irrational and expensive requirements in the "green" course, which were supposed to combat climate change and help restore the environment, but in fact led to the bankruptcy of many farms.
"This does not mean that we should not act to protect the climate, but we just need to do it in a different way. The European Commission should re-examine its plans," the Polish minister said.
