BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania will seal and monitor Ukrainian grain cargoes transiting the country and conduct quality checks on food products at border checkpoints, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday, stopping short of a ban on imports.
European Union member states Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have imposed import bans to protect their markets from an influx of cheaper supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Bulgaria on Wednesday joined them in temporarily banning Ukrainian grain imports as central and eastern European states come under domestic pressure to shield local farmers.
Ukraine, one of the world’s leading grain exporters, has had to find alternative shipping routes through neighbouring states given that access to its own ports is limited since Russia’s invasion more than a year ago.
But logistical bottlenecks and shorter distances meant that millions of tonnes of grain have ended up in neighbouring states, distorting local demand and prices. The Ukraine grain is exempt from EU customs taxes and cheaper than that produced in the European Union.
Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea held talks over video link with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solsky and asked him to “quickly identify solutions to restrict grain and oilseeds exports to Romania,” the ministry said in a statement.
The two will meet in Bucharest on Friday to identify the best solutions for both countries.
“As an EU member state, Romania supports the European Commission’s measures to help Ukraine and will continue to ensure grain transit to third-party states and traditional commercial routes,” the ministry statement said.
The Ukraine agriculture ministry was not immediately available for comment.
The European Commission said on Wednesday it was preparing 100 million euros ($109.69 million) of compensation for farmers in countries bordering Ukraine and planning to introduce restrictions on imports.
As of Wednesday, Romania will conduct quality controls on Ukrainian food products at border checkpoints instead of at their destination points to determine whether the products comply with European legislation, the ministry said.
It said the measure was decided after another EU state discovered grains with pesticide levels above EU-approved levels.
($1 = 0.9117 euros)
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Jane Merriman)
