European Parliament supports liberalization of trade regime with Ukraine, strengthening protective measures for EU farmers
The European Parliament finally voted and supported the proposal of the European Commission, modified during negotiations with the Council of the EU, to extend for another year, until June 5, 2025, the liberal trade regime with Ukraine, aimed at stabilizing the Ukrainian economy and gradual integration of the country into the EU internal market.
The corresponding vote took place on Tuesday in Strasbourg as part of the last plenary meeting of the European Parliament of the current convocation.
The speaker was Sandra Kalniete (European populists group, Latvia).
Earlier, on March 13, the European Parliament approved the proposal, but, having made changes aimed at protecting the EU market and European farmers, sent the report back to the committee for further negotiations with the EU Council. After this, on April 8, the negotiators reached a preliminary agreement on this issue, followed by a vote in the plenary session of the European Parliament.
Under the agreements, in the event of a significant disruption to the EU market or markets of one or more EU countries due to Ukrainian imports, such as wheat, it is ensured that the Commission can take swift action and introduce any measures it deems necessary. As part of enhanced safeguards to protect EU farmers, the emergency brake could be applied to particularly sensitive agricultural products, namely poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, cereals, corn and honey. Negotiators agreed to extend the base period used as the basis for applying this automatic protection, meaning that if imports of these products exceed the average import volume recorded in the second half of 2021, and throughout 2022 and 2023, the tariffs will be revised. In addition, the Commission undertakes to strengthen monitoring of grain imports, in particular wheat. In addition, legislators approved the Commission's commitment to negotiate permanent tariff liberalization with Ukraine as part of the Association Agreement review process, once the legislative procedure for temporary liberalization is completed, and to ensure the active participation of parliament in this process.
Further, the legislative act must be approved by the Council of the EU with subsequent publication in the Official Journal.