On Wednesday 13 March, MEPs approved the European Commission’s proposal to extend the suspension of tariffs on imports from Ukraine until June 2025 (347 votes in favour, 117 against and 99 abstentions). However, they asked for the Commission’s safeguard measure to be modified.
Wheat, barley, oats, maize and honey-based products should be subject to this safeguard, in addition to poultry, eggs and sugar. In addition, the reference volumes not to be exceeded for imports must be based on the period from the beginning of 2021 to the end of 2023, and not just on the years 2022 and 2023, according to the European Parliament.
“MEPs also backed safeguard measures that would alleviate the pressure on EU farmers should they be overwhelmed by a sudden surge of Ukrainian imports”, said rapporteur Sandra Kalniete (EPP, Latvian).
Adopting the amendments in this way means that the European Parliament will have to enter into negotiations with the EU Council, which for its part approved the Commission’s proposal without amending it (see EUROPE 13355/2).
See the ‘Kalniete’ report: https://aeur.eu/f/bb0
Moldova. The draft report by Markéta Gregorová (Greens/EFA, Czech) to extend the liberalisation of trade with Moldova was adopted without amendment (459 votes in favour, 65 against and 57 abstentions).
See the ‘Gregorová’ report: https://aeur.eu/f/bb2 (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)