Romania will start sealing vehicles carrying Ukrainian agricultural products

The customs authorities of Romania will begin to seal vehicles that transport Ukrainian agricultural products through the republic. The measure will take effect on Monday, April 24, the State Service of Ukraine for Transport Security (Ukrtransbezpeka) said.

The department clarified that such plans were announced during a meeting between the Minister of Agropolitics of Ukraine Mykola Solsky and the Romanian Minister Petr Dea.

“The customs authorities of Romania will install seals on trucks with Ukrainian agricultural transit goods. For carriers transiting through Romania, it is important to prepare the truck for sealing and arrive at the border only after such conditions are met,” the civil service said.

As before informed Press Service of the Ministry of Agriculture of Romania, On April 19, the Minister of Agriculture of the republic discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart security measures to protect farmers who are experiencing difficulties due to the increase in the flow of Ukrainian grain. As Dea clarified, it is about sealing and monitoring transport that follows in transit through the territory of Romania to third countries so that it is not sold on the territory of Romania. He also confirmed that Bucharest will continue to ensure the transit of grain to third countries and traditional trade routes.

On January 30, a report was published on the website of the Council of Europe, which noted that due to the simplified export, the supply of Ukrainian products to neighboring countries increased in some cases by thousands of times, which led to overcrowding of warehouses and difficulties for local producers. The document was prepared by Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

At the end of March, the European Commission (EC) sent support to farmers in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria in the amount of 56 million euros from the reserve fund of the EU agricultural subsidies program. However, this measure was not enough. In mid-April, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia limited the import of Ukrainian grain. Similar plans were announced by the Romanian authorities. Then Bulgaria temporarily banned the import of Ukrainian food. The European Commission called the decision of the countries unacceptable. On April 18, Ukraine and Poland agreed to unblock the transit of Ukrainian grain on the night of April 21-22.

Then, EC President Ursula von der Leyen conveyed to the governments of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic that Brussels is “preparing a new support package of 100 million euros” for farmers in these countries from EU funds in exchange for their governments lifting bans on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products .