On Monday 27 October in Luxembourg, the European Commission and Ukraine expressed their hope that the new EU-Ukraine trade agreement, which will come into force very shortly, will enable Poland, Hungary and Slovakia to lift their national bans on imports of certain Ukrainian products (cereals and other agricultural products).
At a press briefing attended by Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Ukraine’s Trade Representative, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, stressed that the new agreement, with its new tariff quotas, would provide “the necessary predictability for our agricultural sector and eliminate the need to resort to unilateral measures” (see EUROPE 13729/17).
“This is a subject we are going to discuss today, but I think that the need for such measures will no longer exist”, he added, referring to the debate at the ‘Agriculture’ Council, in the presence of the Ukrainian representative, on the situation of agricultural markets in the context of the war in Ukraine launched by Russia (see EUROPE 13736/20).
Taras Kachka assured that his country was doing its part: “Trade in the region requires very specific solutions. Ukraine continues to monitor trade and exports to neighbouring Member States - five of which are affected. That’s why we really believe that these national bans are now obsolete and will be lifted shortly, because trade is now predictable and controlled”, said the Ukrainian official.
Mr Hansen added that trade “goes both ways”. With this agreement, many sectors - dairy products, sausages from various countries and others - also export to Ukraine and will benefit greatly from this new relationship, he pointed out to the critical countries.
Safeguard measures. At the ‘Agriculture’ Council, the agriculture ministers of Hungary, Romania and Slovakia requested (https://aeur.eu/f/j67 ) that the safeguard measures envisaged for the EU-Mercosur agreement be extended to the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).
“The market is being disrupted”, said Hungary, which has requested safeguard measures under the agreement with Ukraine (automatic safeguards and customs duties if necessary).
Slovakia and Poland have criticised the fact that Ukraine’s rules are not due to be harmonised with those of the EU until 2028. Romania has called for a review of trade agreements that could have “deleterious effects” on EU farmers. Bulgaria supported the requests of Ukraine’s other neighbours.
Italy insisted on the need for uniform phytosanitary rules for all. Greece warned against unfair competition between the EU and third countries, and said that the EU must have the necessary tools at its disposal in the event of a problem.
Germany called for Ukraine to be able to continue exporting its agricultural products and welcomed the new EU/Ukraine agreement. Berlin took the view that the safeguards provided for in the EU/Mercosur agreement should not serve as a “precedent” for other trade agreements. Estonia also welcomed the EU/Ukraine agreement.
Christophe Hansen tried to reassure Ukraine’s EU neighbours that the agreement is “balanced”, with quotas reduced from the “peak” seen during the European Union’s autonomous trade measures (ATMs), which suspended customs duties and quotas on imports from Ukraine to support its economy after the Russian invasion.
According to Mr Hansen, the concessions made to Ukraine remain limited. He recalled the existence of liberalisation for EU exports to Ukraine with “reciprocity”, pointing out that meat and dairy products from certain EU countries benefit from opportunities.
In addition, the agreement includes a safeguard clause in the event that these imports cause difficulties for Member States, said the Commissioner.
Finally, he pointed out that Ukraine now has new access to its traditional trade routes, notably via the Black Sea ports.
The new EU/Ukraine trade agreement, revising the deep and comprehensive free trade area, will come into force on 29 October. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)