Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has closed the Black Sea shipping lanes used before the war, resulting in the EU becoming a major transit route and export destination for Ukrainian grain.
In May, the EU agreed to restrict exports to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia to protect farmers there, who blamed the shipments for falling prices on local markets.
The measures allowed products to continue transit through the five countries, but stopped them from being sold on the local market.
But on Friday, the European Commission said it was ending the import ban, arguing that “market distortions in the five member states bordering Ukraine have disappeared”.
Poland, Hungary and Slovakia immediately announced that they would oppose the move.
Speaking to AFP at the United Nations, French Foreign Minister Catherina Colonna said Poland’s decision to impose sanctions on Ukrainian grain was unfair.