The European Commission and the Ukrainian government have reached an agreement in principle on their trade relations in the future, particularly as regards exports of agricultural products, Ukrainian media quoted European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen as saying at a press conference in Brussels on Monday.
After the start of the crisis, the EU has granted autonomous trade measures (ATM) for Ukrainian goods and removed tariffs and quotas for 36 agricultural products since June 2022. The ATMs were prolonged twice; however, they have been replaced by a transitional regime based on the 2016 quotas since June 5, 2025, Hansen said.
The European Commission and Ukraine have conducted constructive talks over recent weeks to review their bilateral trade agreement to ensure a more stable and predictable basis for exporters, businesses and farmers, Hansen said.
“Sensitivities in certain agricultural sectors, notably in the member states neighboring Ukraine, were fully taken into account,” he said.
This agreement currently comprises several elements, among them Ukraine’s commitment to gradually align to EU production standards in the agricultural sector, such as animal welfare or the use of pesticides, by 2028, he said.
The European Commission and Ukraine also agreed to include a safeguard mechanism to apply to both parties, particularly where imports would cause serious difficulties, Hansen said.
Listing the key elements of the revised market access arrangements for imports from Ukraine into the EU, Hansen said quotas for the most sensitive products, such as sugar, poultry and eggs, wheat, maize or honey, was increased compared with the 2016 agreement.
The parties also agreed on improving access to the EU market for a number of other Ukrainian products, including butter, skimmed milk powder, malt and gluten, oats and barley groats, whose quota volumes will be increased up to the highest level of trade in recent years, he said.
They also agreed to fully liberalize trade in some products, examples including whole milk powder, fermented milk, mushrooms, grape juice, and some others, Hansen said.
As for EU export interests, Ukraine agreed to significantly increase export quotas for pork, poultry and sugar, and reduce further duties or abolish them altogether for some other products, which should enhance the export possibilities for European famers, notably in the member states neighboring Ukraine, Hansen said.
The European Commission would be ready to review the situation again in a few years, especially in the context of Ukraine’s progress in economic integration and its accession prospects, Hansen said.
“While now the overall contours of the agreement are there, technical details have still to be finalized in the coming days,” he said.
Before the outcomes of the negotiations are endorsed officially, the EU’s transitional arrangements that have taken effect since June 6 will continue to be applied, he said.
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