The Committee of the European Parliament on International Trade approved the extension of trade liberalization for Ukraine and Moldova until June 5, 2025. At the same time, the legislation will allow the European Commission to respond to changes in the EU market through Ukrainian imports.
This was reported by Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture and Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka.
He noted that this procedural vote triggers the political approval of this decision, which should take place without discussion.
"A week ago, more than 100 amendments to the proposal of the European Commission were submitted to the agricultural and trade committee. Almost all of them suggested narrowing access to the EU market for Ukrainian products. The reason is the demands of farmers and the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. Due to active work with the member states, and above all with Poland, with the European institutions and MEPs, it was possible to reduce the number of amendments that were voted on to two. And they did not get enough votes. This already means that normal European politics prevails over the pre-election race for media-attractive solutions. After all, no matter how difficult it is to build the EUʼs internal agricultural policy, the support of the European Parliament is politically important for us. So that no one speculates that selfishness prevails over solidarity with Ukraine," Kachka wrote.
At the same time, this legislation "gives the Commission the power to take quick measures and introduce any necessary measures in the event of significant disruptions on the EU market or on the markets of one or more EU countries due to Ukrainian imports."
Emergency braking is also foreseen for particularly sensitive agricultural products — poultry meat, eggs and sugar. This means that if the import of these products exceeds the average volumes of 2022-2023, the tariffs will be introduced again.
The European Parliament can adopt its position in the first reading at the plenary session next week. The Council will then formally approve the resolution, and it will enter into force after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
- Ukraine intensified cooperation with the European Union in 2014 after the victory of the Revolution of Dignity. In the same year, the Verkhovna Rada and the European Parliament simultaneously approved the Association Agreement of Ukraine with the EU. It entered into force in full on September 1, 2017. The strategic course for Ukraineʼs membership in the European Union and NATO has been enshrined in the Constitution since February 2019.
- On February 28, 2022, four days after the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine applied to join the European Union under a special procedure. On June 17, the European Commission recommended granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU accession, and also put forward a number of conditions that the country must fulfill before the start of negotiations on joining the European Union. On June 23, EU leaders gathered in Brussels for a summit where they granted Ukraine candidate status.