The EU Council and the European Parliament will not need to go through negotiations on the regulation regarding autonomous trade measures towards Ukraine. On Thursday 7 March, the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) adopted the report by Sandra Kalniete (EPP, Latvian), which incorporates the European Commission’s proposal without amendments (26 votes in favour, 10 against and 1 abstention). The EU Council also gave the green light to the text on 21 February, without any amendments (see EUROPE 13355/2).
Less controversial, the report by Markéta Gregorová (Greens/EFA, Czech) on the liberalisation of trade with Moldova was also adopted, without amendment, by the INTA committee (28 votes in favour, 2 against and 6 abstentions).
Several MEPs from the EPP, ID and ECR groups, as well as the S&D group, tabled amendments to Ms Kalniete’s report, in particular to modify the automatic safeguard for certain agricultural products (see EUROPE 13357/4). The Committee on Agriculture had also tabled amendments, which were rejected.
A number of MEPs are concerned that certain products, such as grains, are not included in the automatic safeguard. Under this agreement, Ukrainian sugar, poultry and eggs are subject to a limited volume of imports (without tariffs), based on imports recorded in 2022 and 2023. These reference years are not relevant for many MEPs and representatives of European farmers.
The plenary vote, due to take place in April, should confirm the European Parliament’s position. Amendments could still be tabled to try to change the automatic safeguard. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)