The day before this decision was reported by the Budapest edition of Euractiv with reference to a Hungarian government spokesman, specifying that the new authorities called the temporary lifting of the ban a “legislative mistake”. This important emphasis is pointed out by DW.
The ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products was introduced by Viktor Orban’s government as part of a package of emergency measures in April 2023 and terminated on May 14, 2026, as it is now clear, “due to a procedural error.” Thus, this ban has been formally “lifted” for just over a week.
Hungary intends to expand the new “banned” list
Budapest has already stated that it has taken “urgent measures” to quickly reinstate the ban. In particular, Agriculture Minister Szabolcs Bona said that the authorities would not allow Ukrainian imports to “threaten the livelihood” of Hungarian farmers. The restrictions apply to about 20 categories of products, including beef, pork, poultry, eggs, grain, flour, sunflower and rapeseed oil. According to the minister, honey is likely to be added to the final list.
In May 2022, after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the EU canceled duties on Ukrainian agricultural products to support the country’s economy. However, the move later caused discontent among farmers in the countries bordering Ukraine. After that, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia imposed “temporary” bans on imports of Ukrainian grain and other products.
