Bulgaria insists on the introduction of tariffs and quotas on imports of Ukrainian grain to the European Union and explains its demand by the "significant" suffering of local farmers after the lifting of restrictions on trade in Ukrainian products, euractiv.de reports.

"The increase in exports from Ukraine is a serious concern for producers, as they are unable to compete with the prices of Ukrainian products," the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture said in a response to the publication's request.

The Ministry of Agriculture clarified that Bulgaria has significant capacities for the production of refined and unrefined sunflower oil, as well as biodiesel. Bulgarian producers in these sectors are among the largest in the EU. At the same time, Bulgaria does not produce enough sunflower seeds for its capacity and is heavily dependent on imports from Ukraine.

The introduction of duties on Ukrainian sunflower and rapeseed seeds will make it more difficult for Bulgarian products to be sold on the world market. When the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain came into effect last year, some production facilities were closed, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture explained.