On Thursday, the European Council decided to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine.
"Ukrainian agriculture is capable of destabilizing food security in any country of the European Union. If we want this, we can immediately open the doors and say, 'We are closing our agricultural enterprises, because their work will not make sense,'" Kolodziejczak told Polish broadcaster RMF FM.
Ukraine's accession to the EU will harm the interests of Polish farmers, as they will be dominated by large Ukrainian agriculture companies, the Polish official continued. He said the entire Ukrainian agriculture was monopolized by about 95 holdings controlling anything from land to railroad.
"We must respect our interests, as, for example, Germany did when Poland joined the European Union. At the time, the labor market for Poles was frozen for eight years. Today, we could say that agricultural products from Ukraine – fresh and processed – should not enter Poland, for example, 20 years after Ukraine joins the EU," the official added.
Polish-Ukrainian relations have deteriorated significantly this year due to the influx of Ukrainian grain to the European Union. Poland, alongside Slovakia and Hungary, unilaterally extended a ban on duty-free Ukrainian grain imports after EU-imposed curbs lapsed on September 15. In response, Ukraine filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization. Polish farmers have been protesting for weeks by blocking entry roads to the trucks carrying Ukrainian foods.
15 December 2023, 17:22 GMT
Ukraine applied for EU membership on February 28, 2022, shortly after Russia launched its special military operation. On June 23, 2022, Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status. The European Commission recommended in November 2023 that the EU open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.