The Romanian government has extended the mandatory licensing requirement for Ukrainian products until December 31, 2025, as a measure to protect local farmers. This is reported by UNN with reference to Euractiv.
Details
Romanian Minister of Agriculture Florin Barbu urged Romanian processors to “secure raw materials from domestic farmers to support national agricultural production.”
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this regulation applies to all participants in the agri-food supply chain, including producers, processors, and traders. It plays a vital role in supporting vulnerable social groups in accordance with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Following the European Commission's decision in September 2023 not to extend the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain to five neighboring EU countries—Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary—Bucharest introduced a licensing system for imports of grains and oilseeds from both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
Initially introduced in October 2023, this measure has since been expanded and extended to cover additional products.
Addition
Ukraine is preparing for changes in export policy due to the termination of EU free trade preferences. Plans include reducing raw material exports and increasing domestic processing to boost profits.