Changes in the European Green Deal

We share the same goal – protecting Polish agriculture and the European market from the unfair and devastating consequences of the decision to fully open trade with Ukraine - Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after attending a meeting with farmers.

During a press conference following the summit, Mr. Tusk pointed out that he was not going to agree to the provisions of the European Green Deal, which is why he already requested that Brussels suspends or withdraws provisions that are ill-fitting to the realities of Polish agriculture.

We are going to work on proposals concerning changes in the Green Deal from the Polish side, taking into account the complaints voiced by the protesting farmers, as well as government’s suggestions. Our goal is not to overthrow the Green Deal –  we are only pointing out that all provisions concerning agriculture, which constitute part of this document, constitute a serious blow to farmers and therefore need to be either suspended or crossed out, especially today, in the face of the ongoing war and duty-free trade - Mr. Tusk said.

Embargo on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products

In spite of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian agricultural and food products are imported to Europe without any restrictions, which has a dramatic impact on a number of prices across Europe, with grain being a particularly apparent example.

I believe that putting the weight of the Polish parliament behind our proposals – in particular those concerning an embargo on Russian and Belarusian food products and grain, as well as other specific demands I will present in Brussels in dialogue with the European Commission – will be an opportunity to move forward - the Prime Minister noted.

Surplus grain buyout

Following the meeting with farmers, Mr. Tusk stated that he supports the suggestion that the European Union should finance the buyout and shipment of grain from European markets to countries in need.

This is a matter of humanitarian aid, as well as a scheme to address the issue of grain surplus in Europe, which currently amounts to 30 million tonnes. This is a particularly pressing issue for Poland, which currently sees a surplus of approximately 9 million tonnes - the Prime Minister said.

Closing the Polish-Ukrainian border still on the table

Ukraine is ready to close the border for trade; however, this decision bears consequences for both sides, and thus needs to be carefully analysed.

Prime Minister Shmyhal noted that Ukraine is ready to close the border as far as trade is concerned until a solution is found at the EU level and during bilateral talks. What is more, such a decision would have to be bilateral, and would result in several consequences. This is hardly a scenario we want to see coming to fruition; however, we have to keep this option on the table as well - Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted.