On October 13, the EU Council decided to reduce or completely abolish customs duties on agri-food products from Ukraine, in particular on dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and meat products.
This is stated on the website of the Council of the EU.
This decision is part of the review of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the European Union and Ukraine.
Ukraineʼs access to the EU market will depend on the gradual alignment of national requirements for animal welfare, pesticides, and veterinary drugs with EU standards.
In addition, the document takes into account the specific needs of individual EU agricultural sectors, introducing a reliable protection mechanism that either party can activate in the event of a market imbalance.
It is envisaged that market access for the most sensitive products – such as sugar, poultry, eggs, wheat, maize and honey – will remain limited and gradual. Full liberalisation will only be considered for selected non-sensitive products, such as milk and dairy products.
The decision still needs to be approved by the EU-Ukraine Association Committee.
- The Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine was signed in 2014 and entered into force on September 1, 2017. The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) is the economic component of the agreement, which defines the framework for the modernization of Ukraineʼs economy and its trade relations.
- Following Russiaʼs unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU granted Ukraine a number of trade benefits.
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