The decision of Poland, then Hungary and now Slovakia, to suspend imports of Ukrainian cereals, was deemed "unacceptable" by the European Commission in a first reaction. The impact of lower cereal prices is creating bottlenecks in Central and Eastern Europe which must also be taken into account.
The intention to help Ukraine remains the priority, but the Union could reinstate some tariffs, according to Miriam Garcia Ferrer, spokesperson for the European Commissioner for Trade. The tensions with European producers point to difficulties that the agricultural chapter will pose on the still distant day when negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the EU begin.