The European Commission has completed negotiations with Ukraine regarding the revision of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between Ukraine and the European Union. About this it is said on the official website of the EC.
“Achieving an agreement in principle on the revision of the provisions on trade liberalization within the framework of the Association Agreement marks a new stage in the creation of a long-term, predictable and mutual basis in the broader context of the process of Ukraine’s accession to the EU.” – the message says.
The document takes into account the concerns expressed by the EU member states and the agricultural sector, in particular regarding the sensitive branches of agriculture. Under the new conditions, Ukraine will be able to supply more products to the EU than before the start of the full-scale war, but less than during the “trade visa-free” period.
“For sensitive products such as eggs, sugar and wheat, quotas are increased but remain below historical trade volumes to ensure stability of the EU market. For less sensitive products, quotas increase moderately and some products will be fully liberalized.” – Marosh Šefčovych, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, explained the essence of the agreements.
He expressed hope that the countries neighboring Ukraine – Poland, Hungary and Slovakia – will cancel unilateral embargoes introduced on certain types of Ukrainian products. The agreement provides for a mechanism to protect the EU’s internal market in case the increase in imports from Ukraine causes serious difficulties for the Union or individual member states.
It is also assumed that by 2028, Ukraine will harmonize its agricultural production standards in accordance with EU norms, in particular in the fields of animal welfare and the use of pesticides.
“I want to clearly emphasize: additional access to the market will be provided on the condition of compliance with EU standards. Creating a level playing field for EU farmers was clearly defined in the vision for the agricultural sector, and now we are putting it into practice.”, – emphasized the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christoph Hansen.
