On Thursday 11 May, European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström deplored the fact that the European Parliament's international trade committee has reduced the scope of the plan for temporary autonomous trade preferences for Ukraine, which was proposed by the Commission in September 2016 in addition to what is already offered as part of the EU-Ukraine free trade area.
"I am not entirely happy with that, I must say, I think they (Ed: the MEPs) are diluting our proposal and I hope the Council will go forward more towards the Commission’s proposal so that we can very quicky have an agreement on this", Malmström said when she arrived at the EU trade ministers meeting on Thursday morning.
"I know that there are questions. It is a very modest proposal but it would be important for the Ukrainians on a shorter basis, and send a political signal that we are with them", she added.
"A balance needs to be found in order to have these measures in place", Malta's Economy Minister and current rotating president of the Council, Christian Cardona, stated.
On 4 May, the Parliament's international trade committee gave its approval for additional annual duty-free import quotas from the EU to Ukraine, excluding certain agricultural products such as wheat, tomatoes and urea (fertilisers), but not corn (see EUROPE 11781, 11782). The Parliament will vote on the Commission's proposal in plenary in early June. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)