Import ban lifted / Photo by Pexels
In Hungary, emergency government decrees, including a ban on the import of a number of Ukrainian agricultural goods, have been lifted. Local agricultural organizations are already calling on the authorities to restore these restrictions at the legislative level as soon as possible.
Emergency decrees in Hungary have expired
In Hungary, a number of government decrees adopted within the framework of the state of emergency expired on May 13, Agroinform.hu reports. Among them was a regulation that restricted the import of agricultural products from Ukraine.
The ban on imports of more than 20 categories of goods included wheat, corn, sunflower and rapeseed seeds, flour, poultry meat, eggs, and other products.
After the end of the state of emergency, the newly elected parliament enshrined some of the temporary solutions in legislation, but restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products were not included in this list.
What remains valid for importers?
Despite the end of the ban, certain requirements for importing products remain.
In particular, the updated legislation enshrines the rule on mandatory notification of the Hungarian National Food Chain Safety Authority about product imports. At the same time, this procedure is not new and has previously been in effect for goods regardless of their country of origin.
In fact, the current situation is not about a complete return to the previous rules, but about maintaining the supply control mechanism without a direct ban on Ukrainian products.
Farmer organizations demand return of restrictions
Hungarian agricultural associations have already reacted to the situation. The specialized organization MAGOSZ stated that in order to protect local producers, it is necessary to supplement the legislation and separately establish a ban on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine.
The farming community fears that the lack of clear restrictions could increase competition in the domestic market and put pressure on prices.
There is no final government position on the possible return of the ban yet. Major media outlets report that relevant requests have already been sent to the competent authorities, and the topic remains a subject of discussion between the authorities and the agricultural sector.
Ukrainian agricultural products will be checked for origin before export to the EU
Despite Hungary lifting its ban on the import of Ukrainian products, the EU's overall control is being strengthened. This is taking place as part of the harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with EU legislation.
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Ukraine is preparing for the European Union's new environmental requirements for agricultural products.
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The Cabinet of Ministers has already created an experimental mechanism that will confirm that products are grown without deforestation and forest degradation.
The verification will be carried out automatically. For this, integration with the State Land Cadastre and the Register of Property Rights will be used through the “Trembita” system.