Czechia seeks EU to ban Russian and Belarusian grain imports
Czech Minister of Agriculture Marek Vyborny (flickr.com/photos/eu2023es)
Czechia has tabled a proposal to halt the import of Russian and Belarusian grains into the European Union, according to the statement by Marek Vyborny, the Czech Minister of Agriculture, ahead of discussions at the European Council this week.
"Russian or Belarusian commodities have no place in Europe. I don’t see any reason why Russian grain should be in Europe. I am convinced nobody should support an aggressor by buying grain from it. This is what I will be advocating in the EU. We will push for cereals and oilseeds to be on the sanctions list and not to be sent to Europe," Vyborny said.
He brushed off concerns of significant food price hikes following a potential ban on Russian grain imports, citing surplus harvests in Czechia and globally. "The Czech Republic has surpluses for export. There was a surplus harvest worldwide," emphasized the minister.
EU countries support ban on Russian grain imports
Latvia's government imposed its ban on grain imports from Russia in late February and is pushing for a unified EU stance.
Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has also underscored the necessity of combatting Russian grain imports into the European market.
Poland's Sejm, or parliament, rallied behind a resolution on March 8, advocating for sanctions on agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, urging the European Commission to enforce import sanctions on Russian and Belarusian food and agricultural products into the EU.
Representatives from the majority of political groups within the European Parliament have voiced support for sanctions on agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, underlining a growing consensus for decisive action against these imports.
