During her visit to Kiev, Ukraine, on Friday 30 September, Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström announced the EU’s desire to offer new market access for some agricultural and industrial products from Ukraine in addition to what is already offered in the EU-Ukraine free-trade deal that came into force on 1 January 2016.
On Friday, the European Commission unveiled a proposal to offer Ukraine an increase in the quantities of duty-free imports from Ukraine for agricultural products such as honey, cereals and processed tomatoes, along with fertilisers, shoes, a number of metals and certain electronic equipment.
"We hope this can give a positive boost to the Ukrainian economy. Our progress so far is clear, but much work still remains to unleash the full potential of our free trade area", Malmström said. The Ukrainian economy is growing again. Its exports to the EU increased by 5% in the first months of the year thanks to the free-trade deal coming into force (which is part of an EU-Ukraine Association Agreement).
The EU has built on its position as Ukraine’s main trading partner, the Commission explains in a press release. In Kiev on Friday, Malmström met Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin, and Minister of Agriculture Taras Kutovyy, as well as Rada parliamentarians and business representatives.
The aim of the meetings was to boost bilateral cooperation for effective implementation of the free-trade zone, explained Malmström at a press conference with Klympush-Tsintsadze. Malmström urged Ukraine to update its economy and attract greater investment.
She said she expected Kiev to make greater efforts in tackling corruption and introducing more transparent and predictable legislation. She also called for the removal of measures that hinder trade and go against Ukraine's international commitments, such as certain food safety measures and the export ban on wood. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)