On Friday, the EU’s agriculture commissioner stated that the bloc anticipates reducing farm imports from Ukraine while reviewing emergency measures to support Kyiv, which allowed the bloc to expand its market for Ukrainian goods.
Christophe Hansen told AFP that Brussels was looking to “find a new agreement” as the policies that have angered European farmers come to an end in June.
“Conversations must be quick. In an interview, he declared, “The European Union is prepared to negotiate, and it should take place in the upcoming weeks.”
There will be a change to import quotas from this interim deregulation. Fewer imports will be made.
In a gesture of solidarity, the EU removed tariffs on Ukrainian goods during Russia’s invasion in 2022, since the conflict significantly reduced Kyiv’s regular sea export routes.
However, European farmers objected to the flood of cheaper products made by their less regulated Ukrainian counterparts, saying they were being undercut.
The EU responded last year by placing restrictions on a number of goods, including maize, sugar, poultry, and eggs.
“We’ve seen that this has caused problems, especially in certain member states,” Hansen said of the temporary measures, adding that it is “clear” that the EU does not want an extension.
Trade between the EU and Ukraine will once again be governed by an existing agreement if duty-free access is not extended in June.
“The best thing would be for us to have a longer-term agreement with Ukraine, including an alignment of production standards,” Hansen stated.
