Ministers of the European Union will consider the issue of trade in agricultural products with Ukraine at the request of Slovakia at a meeting of the EU Council. The meeting will be held in the afternoon of September 22, as “there are questions from Slovakia regarding the agreement with Ukraine”.
“We strongly support this agreement with Ukraine. We believe that it should be even more liberalized than is necessary at this time. But for the European Commission, it is a certain balance. From that day on, we will discuss protective measures regarding imports, explained the European Commission.
Revision of Article 29 of the “Agreement on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the EU and Ukraine” (DCFTA) in the Council of the EU is progressing successfully, despite existing differences between the member states. At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that this issue does not belong to the competence of the Council on Agriculture and Fisheries.
“However, ministers can express their opinion, that is why trade issues related to agriculture are included in the agenda”, the department explained.
Slovakia’s note, which was sent to the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, refers to Bratislava’s demand to create a “reliable protection mechanism that will provide adequate protection against market distortions”. Despite the general support among the EU countries, the document states that Slovakia maintains a negative position regarding the revision of the DCFTA agreement, but at the same time the country’s government advocates the formation of a special fund for farmers.
“According to the joint declaration of the member states located on the border of the EU, dated July 9, 2025, we welcome the creation of a special fund for farmers, which would compensate the losses of primary producers due to excessive imports from Ukraine”, the message reads.
In Slovakia, it was recalled that the previous liberalization of trade with Ukraine had negative consequences for local farmers. They believe that the current draft agreement is a “unilateral concession to Ukrainian exports at the expense of Slovak farmers”.
