EU Commission Seeks Clarifications From Hungary, Poland On Ban Of Ukrainian Grain Imports

The European Commission is in contact with the EU member states that have decided to ban grain imports from Ukraine due to oversupply and side effects for their internal markets as Brussels needs to properly assess the measures, Commission spokeswoman for trade and agriculture Miriam Garcia Ferrer said on Monday.

"We are already in contact with the relevant authorities, the authorities of the EU member states that are announcing these measures, also the authorities of Ukraine, to properly understand the scope of these measures and the legal basis, because we do not have full clarity on that," Ferrer told a briefing.

The European Commission is not seeking to punish the states banning the import of Ukraine's agricultural production, instead, it is trying to find a joint solution that would meet the interests of all of the parties, European Commission Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer said later on Monday.

"This is not about sanctioning, this is about finding solutions, based on the EU law, in the interests, at the same time, of the Ukrainians and of the EU. This is how we need to look at this issue," Mamer stressed at a midday press briefing.

The EU and its member states, including Poland and other states bordering with Ukraine, have already done their utmost to help the Ukrainian side and it is not the objective of the European Commission to "rack difficulties on populations within the European Union," he added.