EU Grants Ukraine Duty-Free Access Until 2025: Key Provisions Explained
The European Union has reached a provisional agreement to provide Ukrainian food producers with duty-free access to its markets until June 2025, as announced by the European Parliament in a statement cited by Reuters and reported by Agerpres.
This decision corresponds to a proposal put forth by the European Commission in January to suspend tariffs and quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products until the specified period. An "emergency brake" has been included for poultry, eggs, and sugar, signifying that tariffs will be imposed if imports surpass the average levels from 2022 and 2023.
Furthermore, European legislators expanded the scope of this agreement on Wednesday to encompass oats, corn, cereals, and honey.
Additionally, Parliament has secured commitments from the Commission to take action in case of sudden surges in imports of Ukrainian wheat.
The reference period for triggering the emergency brake is set for 2022 and 2023. This signifies that tariffs will be reinstated if imports of these products exceed the average volumes from these two years, as clarified by Parliament.
Moreover, European Parliament negotiators have ensured that the Commission will respond within 14 days, rather than 21 days, if trigger levels for automatic safeguard measures are reached.
Last week, the European Parliament endorsed amendments to incorporate cereals and honey into the emergency brake. They also established the threshold based on the average of the years 2021, 2022, and 2023, a level lower than proposed in January. This adjustment was influenced by the conditions preceding Russia's invasion in 2021, during which Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU were constrained by tariffs and quotas.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
