The European Commission proposed today to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukraine’s exports to the EU for another year, while strengthening protections for sensitive EU agricultural products.

The Commission proposes measures to limit any uncontrolled increase in Ukrainian agricultural imports, offering guarantees to protesting farmers across Europe. Presenting these proposals, the vice-president of the Commission Margaritis Schinas stated that the concerns expressed by some representatives and stakeholders in the agricultural sector are taken seriously, regarding imports of certain sensitive products. “We are fully aware of the adverse effects that Ukrainian imports can have in some member states”, M. Schinas admitted, stressing that now the Commission is proposing two “guarantee” mechanisms. These mechanisms, according to the vice-president of the Commission, will stabilize the level of imports from Ukraine and provide guarantees that the level of imports that disrupted some markets of neighboring countries to Ukraine last year will not be repeated.

It is noted that after the exemption from customs duties granted in June 2022 by the EU, the inflow of Ukrainian agricultural products (grain, sugar, eggs and poultry, etc.) angered farmers in some EU member stateswho complain about an “unfair” competition that leads to the reduction of prices in local markets.

Exemption from duties granted to Ukraine – the Autonomous Trade Measures (ATM) – have entered into force from June 2022 and are a key pillar of the EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine and its economy. The measures contribute to easing the difficult situation faced by Ukrainian producers and exporters as a consequence of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression.

While the ATM’s main goal is to support Ukraine, the measures also take into account the sensitivities of EU farmers and other stakeholders. For this purpose, and taking into account the significant increase in imports of certain agricultural products from Ukraine to the EU in 2022 and 2023the revamped ATMs include enhanced ‘safeguard’ measures to enable rapid remedial measures to be taken in the event of significant disruptions in the EU market or the markets of one or more Member States.

For the most sensitive products – poultry, eggs and sugar – an emergency brake is foreseen to stabilize imports at average import volumes in 2022 and 2023. This means that if imports of these products exceeded these volumes, duties would be reimposed to ensure that import volumes do not significantly exceed those of previous years.

Alongside, the Commission proposes to renew for one more year the suspension of all remaining duties on Moldovan imports effective from July 2022.

The Commission’s proposals will now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, to ensure the renewal for another year of the exemption from duties on products from Ukraine and Moldova.