News in brief:
-Â Polish farmers have ended their blockade at the Ukraine border after the government reached an agreement with them to address financial concerns.
– There has been no progress on the core issue of restricting Ukrainian agricultural imports as farmers express worries about potential competition.
Polish farmers have lifted their blockade of the Medyka-Shehyni border crossing with Ukraine following a late-Saturday agreement with the government, defusing a tense standoff that tested the new administration of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The month-long dispute, which briefly paused over Christmas, stemmed from farmers’ concerns about Ukrainian grain imports and demands for financial assistance.
According to a report, agriculture minister CzesÅaw Siekierski sealed the deal with protesting farmers, addressing their financial concerns by guaranteeing corn production subsidies, tax freeze and increased loans.
Under the arrangement, farmers will have their agricultural taxes remain at 2023 levels and preferential liquidity loans will be expanded by â¬629 million to improve their access to capital.
While these concessions appeased immediate financial concerns, the core issue of restricting Ukrainian imports remains unresolved. Farmers, represented by leader Roman Kondrów, insist on limiting Ukrainian agricultural products like sugar, eggs, and poultry, fearing competition will devastate Polish producers. Furthermore, they warn against granting Ukraine full EU membership without safeguards for Polish markets.
Kondrow expressed anxieties about Ukraine’s potential impact on Polish agriculture stating that it is such a country that ‘just want to take, take, take, and give nothing back.’
Adding to the pressure, Polish truckers maintain their own protest, demanding the government abandon an EU-Ukraine agreement favoring Ukrainian road transport companies. They fear it unfairly disadvantages Polish haulers.
Meantime, these events highlight the deep concerns within segments of Polish society about potential economic consequences of closer ties with Ukraine. Despite agreeing to open EU accession talks with Ukraine in December, Poland faces internal friction regarding the integration process and its potential impact on Polish industries.
Meanwhile, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, a Polish politician, has sided with farmers, calling for EU-wide restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural imports. This stance puts him at odds with other EU officials who favor full trade liberalisation with Ukraine.
