Wheat farm – Photo by Karol Wisniewski from Pexels
(BRUSSELS) – The European Parliament and EU Council reached a new provisional agreement Monday to extend temporary trade measures for Ukraine, as well as safeguard measures to protect EU farmers.
“The ripple effects of Russia’s relentless targeting of Ukraine and its economy are being felt by EU farmers,” said Sandra Kalniete MEP, rapporteur for the regulation: “Under this new agreement with the Council, we have fortified safeguards to protect EU farmers in case of market turbulence sparked by Ukrainian imports. By extending the trade support measures for another year, this agreement is also a testament to the EU’s continued solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression until Ukraine’s victory.”
The MEPs and Council presidency agreed on suspending import duties and quotas on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU for another year, until 5 June 2025, to support Ukraine amidst Russia’s continuing brutal war of aggression. These unilateral trade liberalisation measures will help stabilise the Ukrainian economy and facilitate the country’s gradual integration into the EU’s internal market.
If there is significant disruption to the EU market or the markets of one or more EU countries due to Ukrainian imports, for instance wheat, the regulation ensures that the Commission can take swift action and impose any measures it deems necessary.
As part of reinforced safeguard measures to protect EU farmers, an emergency brake can be triggered for particularly sensitive agricultural products, namely poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, groats, maize, and honey. Negotiators agreed to extend the reference period used as a base for triggering this automatic safeguard, meaning that if imports of these products surpass the average of import volumes recorded in the second half of 2021, and all of 2022 and 2023, tariffs would be re-imposed. In addition, the Commission commits to step up its monitoring of imports of grain, in particular wheat.
The co-legislators endorsed a Commission commitment to discuss permanent tariff liberalisation with Ukraine as soon as the legislative procedure on the temporary liberalisation is completed, and to keep the Parliament closely involved in the process.
The Parliament and Council now both have to give their final green light to the provisional agreement. Parliament’s plenary is likely to vote on the regulation during the second part-session in April. Current trade measures expire on 5 June 2024, and new regulations should enter into force immediately following this date.
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