Hungarian farmers are preparing to protest at the border with Ukraine near the town of Záhony next week, on 9 February. The protest will be against the extension of the EU's preferential trade regulations with Ukraine, in particular with regard to grain, Yevropeyska Pravda has reported, quoting Telex.
The leader of the National Federation Of Hungarian Peasants Association And Cooperatives (MAGOSZ), Istvan Jakab, said that farmers' representatives are dissatisfied with the European Commission's plans to extend the suspension of import quotas and duties for Ukrainian exports to the EU, because they will have to compete with products whose production "should not take into account any EU requirements".
The union said that the farmers "support the Hungarian government, which protects their interests from Brussels".
The day before, Hungarian Agriculture Minister István Nagy said that the European Commission's proposal to extend the preferential trade regime with Ukraine "does not offer any solutions" to the issue of Ukrainian grain, so Hungary plans to maintain its national ban on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine.
On 9 February, Polish farmers will begin a nationwide strike to block all checkpoints on the border between Poland and Ukraine.