The EU has slammed Poland, Hungary and Slovakia for stopping imports of Ukrainian grain. The European Commission is stressing that it is in charge of trade policy in the bloc. Bernd Reigert reports from Brussels, Ednews reports citing DW.
The European Commission was somewhat taken aback by Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski's move to ban imports of grain, oil seed, dairy products and meat from Ukraine.
Kaczynski, who is also leader of the ruling, ultraconservative PiS (Law and Justice) party, announced the ban at a party event on Saturday with the words, "We have to correct mistakes." Hungary was quick to follow suit with the drastic measure, followed in short order by Slovakia.
The European Commission's first reaction on the weekend was a rather threadbare statement. But on Monday, Commission spokespeople finally tried to explain what was what. "It is important to remind that trade policy is an exclusive competence. That means decisions can only been taken at the European level. That is why unilateral action is not possible," said Miriam Garcia Ferrer, the EU spokesperson for trade issues.
