Bulgaria suspends agri-imports from Ukraine, allowing transit to continue

On Wednesday, April 19, the Bulgarian government introduced a temporary ban on the import of foodstuffs from Ukraine, with the exception of those going in transit.

That’s according to Radio Bulgaria, Ukrinform reports.

"Over the past year, a significant amount of food has remained in the country and disrupted food chains. If the trend continues or intensifies, the consequences for Bulgarian business may be extremely severe. We are forced to adopt this national measure because the European authorities are still considering an adequate measure," said caretaker Prime Minister Galab Donev.

He also hopes that Brussels will listen and understand the shared position of Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

"We remain in solidarity with Ukraine, but the bankruptcy of Bulgarian farmers will not contribute to this cause," Donev said.

As reported, five countries - Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria - wrote a letter to the European Commission with a request to take protective measures to cap agricultural imports from Ukraine, since the large flow of grain and food products entering the EU market from Ukraine led to a drop in prices for such products and inflicted damage on local agri-businesses.

Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia completely banned the import of Ukrainian agricultural goods. The European Commission said it did not support such unilateral action, as the issue of trade regulation is part of the EU competence. Earlier, the EU allocated EUR 56 million to support farmers in EU states bordering Ukraine. The spokesperson for the European Commission announced a second, larger package of such assistance that is being drafted.

The EU Solidarity Lanes were set up on the borders with Ukraine in response to Russia's naval blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, through which Ukrainian grain had been exported to the world market before the war. The blockade threatened famine in the most vulnerable countries.

To reduce the threat, on the initiative of the UN and Türkiye, the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched, which allowed Ukraine to export part of its grain. The initiative is being blocked by the Russian Federation.

The EU Solidarity Lanes allowed for the export of more than 25 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain by land, (road and rail), as well as via inland waterways.