The European Dairy Trading Community Eucolait opposed the ban by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia on the import and transit of Ukrainian agricultural products, in particular dairy products, due to its minimal impact on the European market.

"We can say overall for the EU that the impact of dairy imports from Ukraine has been minimal,” Alice O'Donovan, legal and policy advisor at Eucolait, tells foodingredientsfirst.com.

"Eucolait “condemns” the unilateral move of these countries to “circumvent” EU trade policy, creating uncertainty and a “climate of mistrust for all operators across the supply chain,” notes the organization.

"Eucolait is calling on the European Commission to intervene to protect Ukraine’s preferential trade treatment. Appropriate action should be taken to ensure that the integrity of the single market is not compromised by disjointed national measures and that solidarity with Ukraine can be maintained,” highlights O’Donovan.

"Eucolait argues that national actions to circumvent this EU trade policy measure only serve to fragment the Single Market and undermine European unity and solidarity," the report says.

"Instead of taking unilateral decisions, solutions to any potential disruptions created by the opening of the EU market to Ukrainian goods should be sought at the European level,” notes O’Donovan.

“The solidarity lanes were established as a means of both allowing Ukrainian products to enter the EU market and ensuring safe and reliable transit of Ukrainian products onto third countries elsewhere in the world,” O’Donovan argues.