Trade visa-free regime ends: EU discussing a new import agreement with Ukraine
Illustrative photo: Ukraine and the EU discuss an agreement on agricultural products (Getty Images)
The European Union is negotiating with Ukraine on a new agreement that will include new conditions for the import of Ukrainian agricultural products, states Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture, in an interview with Reuters.
Today, June 6, the EU and Ukraine have returned to the pre-war regime of trade quotas. Against this backdrop, they are negotiating new trade rules.
According to Hansen, the new agreement will set import quotas on agricultural products from Ukraine at a level "between" the current rules and the temporary exemptions granted after Russia's 2022 invasion, which were dubbed the trade visa-free regime.
In particular, the European Commissioner clarified that the new quotas for sugar will be "significantly higher" than the quotas established in pre-war agreements.
"I think we can absorb a certain amount of those products," he added.
Negotiations on the new agreement between the EU and Ukraine began on June 2. Hansen said that reaching an agreement by the end of summer is entirely possible.
"Our solidarity with Ukraine is as firm as ever, and therefore we are very committed to deliver this agreement as quickly as possible," the European Commissioner noted.
The trade visa-free regime for Ukraine caused dissatisfaction among farmers in neighboring countries.
Trade visa-free regime has ended
Today, June 6, the trade visa-free regime between Ukraine and the European Union has ceased to operate.
Now the bloc will once again set quotas on the import of Ukrainian products to protect its own farmers.
For more details on the trade conditions between Ukraine and the EU, see the RBC-Ukraine report.
