Hungary Opposes EU–Ukraine Trade Deal Over Threat to Farmers

Balázs Orbán, Political Director to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, issued a sharp warning Thursday on Facebook, claiming Ukraine aims to destroy Hungarian agriculture with the help of a proposed EU trade agreement. He criticized Brussels for reaching a preliminary deal with Kyiv to revise the 2016 Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), saying it would bring long-term disadvantages to Hungarian farmers rather than mutual benefits.

According to Balázs Orbán, the proposal would open the EU market to a massive influx of Ukrainian products like sugar, wheat, poultry, eggs, corn, and honey—many of which would not be required to meet strict EU regulations. ‘This is especially dangerous,’ he said, ‘because Ukraine would not need to comply with EU standards until 2028, if at all.’

He listed products that would see record-high import quotas, including butter, milk powder, malt, oats, gluten, barley grits, and more. Others—like fermented milk, mushrooms, and grape juice—could enter the EU market without any restrictions.

The Political Director argued this would put Hungarian farmers at a severe disadvantage. While EU farmers must meet demanding animal welfare, environmental, and quality rules, their Ukrainian counterparts would not face the same conditions in the short term, and possibly never. Moreover, he warned, the deal lacks enforcement: ‘What happens if Ukraine violates the standards? Nothing—there are no penalties,’ Orbán stated.

He characterized the move as part of a broader Brussels strategy to integrate Ukraine into the EU, creating an uneven playing field. Several Central European countries, including Poland, have expressed concern, and Hungary hopes for a united regional response.

Domestically, however, Orbán said Hungary stands alone in this fight. He criticized the opposition—especially the Tisza Party—for supporting Ukraine’s EU integration and failing to defend Hungarian agricultural interests. He noted that a Tisza Party agricultural representative recently advised farmers to prepare for market saturation by cheaper Ukrainian products.

Despite the lack of political consensus, the Hungarian government continues to enforce its national ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports. ‘Only products that already meet EU standards—not in 2028, not in theory, but now—will be allowed onto the Hungarian market,’ Orbán stressed. Until then, he concluded, Ukrainian goods have no place in Hungary.

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