Polish farmers block the border with Germany
18 March 2024 09:58
Polish farmers have blocked a key road near the border with Germany to protest against food imports from Ukraine and the EU’s climate initiatives in agriculture. This was reported by Komersant ukrainsky 
with reference to Radio Zet.
Polish police blocked traffic from the A2 motorway near Słubice, which connects Warsaw and Berlin. Organisers say the action will last until Wednesday, 20 March.
“The western border will remain closed until the eastern border is actually closed.”
– say the protesting farmers.
The idea to extend the protest to the border with Germany was suggested by Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak the day before. He said that if he were them, he would block the border with Germany. Thus, the official Polish authorities and the protesters only confirm that the problem is not the export of Ukrainian grain to Poland (which is in transit through the country), but the fact that Ukraine is taking away EU markets from Poland, including the German one.
Border blockade
Problems at the border began on 6 November 2023, when Polish transport companies began blocking truck traffic at three major checkpoints on the Ukrainian border: “Korczowa-Krakowiec, Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, and Dorohusk-Yagodyn. One of the requirements was to reinstate the permits for Ukrainian carriers that had been cancelled under the agreement with the EU by 30 June 2024.
On6 January, truck traffic to the Medyka-Shehyni border crossingin Poland resumed. Three other border crossing points were opened on 17 January, namely Dorohusk – Yagodyn, Hrebenne – Rava-Ruska, and Korczowa – Krakivets.
on 9 February 2024, Polish farmers began a new nationwide strike and blockade of the border with Ukraine, which will last until 10 March. It was initiated by the independent farmers’ trade union Solidarity. The main demand of the protesters is to cancel the preferential trade regime with Ukraine and to return the permit system for importing goods into Poland.
Meanwhile, Poland has already imposed an embargo on Ukrainian grain, Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak said.
Polish Minister of Development and Technology Krzysztof Hetman, in turn, said that Poland could impose an embargo on all Ukrainian agricultural products.
Ukrainians responded by blocking the border for Polish trucks.
The situation is deteriorating every day. There are cases of Ukrainian agricultural products in transit being dumped in Poland. For example, on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, on 24 February, at around 9am, unknown persons damaged freight wagons with beans. And on 25 February, eight wagons with Ukrainian corn were opened.
