The Bulgarian Parliament advocated lifting the ban on grain supplies from Ukraine

The Bulgarian Parliament voted to lift the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain into the republic, reported Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA).

The issue of lifting the ban on the import of a number of grain crops from Ukraine was included in the agenda of the People’s Assembly of the republic. As a result, on September 14, 124 deputies voted for the abolition of the ban from September 15, 69 were against. Eight parliamentarians abstained from voting.

In the draft document, published on the meeting’s website, it is said that Bulgaria does not support the continuation after September 15, 2023 of the emergency measure to ban the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia. It is emphasized that “the supply of agricultural products must be ensured in order to guarantee food security on a global scale, without jeopardizing the competitiveness of Bulgarian agricultural producers.”

Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Kirill Vatev, who previously advocated extending the ban, said during a parliamentary meeting that the republic is not so worried about refusing to continue the embargo. He added that measures to control all Ukrainian goods, especially grains, will be strengthened.

13 September Bulgarian government supported lifting the ban, said Prime Minister of the Republic Nikolai Denkov. According to him, this will reduce food prices and lead to lower inflation.

In July, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia signed a declaration that envisaged the extension of the ban on grain imports from Ukraine after September 15. Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Robert Telus then explained that the restriction on grain imports from Ukraine brought an “unexpected positive effect” in the form of an increase in transit volumes.

Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy on September 12 after talks with his Romanian counterpart statedthat the parties agreed that the ban should be extended until the end of the year. The Polish authorities also advocated extending restrictive measures.

On May 2, the European Commission banned the export of grain from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, but allowed its transit and export to the rest of the EU countries. In early June, the EC extended this ban until September 15.