EU ambassadors will try again today to approve the extension of the duty-free trade agreement with Ukraine, RMF24 reports, UNN writes.
Details
The key meeting is reportedly scheduled to begin in the morning. This is the third meeting of representatives of the 27 EU member states after a compromise was preliminarily agreed with the European Parliament a week ago, which was then rejected due to the opposition of a group of countries led by Poland and France. The issue at hand is the tightening of restrictions on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products.
Poland and France, with the support of a group of Ukraine's neighbors, the newspaper writes, initially sought to include 2021, a period when imports from Ukraine were low, in the calculation of quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products.
Currently, the draft stipulates that the average of the last two years, when imports were already high, is taken into account. But this group of countries has, as France emphasizes, a blocking minority and is capable of amending the agreement. "However, a balance is important between the need to support Ukraine and the interests of EU farmers"," the EU diplomat told RMF FM.
"As it has become unofficially known... the compromise under consideration provides for only six months, starting in June, instead of the entire year 2021. Such a compromise would mean a partial reduction in the supply of Ukrainian food," the publication says.
It is reported that France and Poland are also still trying to impose quantitative restrictions on Ukrainian wheat, which currently apply only to sugar and eggs, and after a compromise with the European Parliament - also to poultry, cereals, oats and honey.
France, as noted, is also seeking to include barley in the list. "However, this will be very difficult," the newspaper points out. The Agriculture Minister of Belgium's EU Council Presidency, David Clarinval, made it clear on Tuesday that there was no agreement from the European Union countries.
The Belgians are reportedly very reluctant to make concessions, as the changes would mean further negotiations with the European Parliament and a very short period to approve the agreement, which is due to enter into force on June 6 for another year.
Such situations, when subsequent negotiations take place after a compromise with the European Parliament and preliminary approval of the position by EU ambassadors, are very rare in the European Union, the publication notes.
"Because of the farmers' protests and the upcoming elections, the positions of the countries have changed," said the EU diplomat, indirectly criticizing the Belgians' rather tough stance.
The negotiations on the amendments to the agreement became possible thanks to an amendment by MEP Andrzej Galicki, who was adopted by the European Parliament during the plenary session. Without this amendment, the text proposed by the European Commission would have been in effect.
The impetus was also the Friday discussion of the heads of state and government at the EU summit in Brussels, where French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Donald Tusk talked about the agreement with Ukraine, the newspaper points out.
Recall
On January 31, the European Commission proposed to extend the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year, while proposing measures to mitigate the possible impact on farmers in the EU.
On March 7, the European Parliament gave its first approval for duty-free access to the EU for Ukrainian goods for another year, but with the right to restrictions.
On March 19, the EU hosted a triallogue on the extension of autonomous trade measures for Ukraine.
However, on March 20, EU ambassadors failed to approve the extension of trade liberalization measures for Ukraine on the eve of the summit of the bloc's leaders, and were supposed to discuss the issue at their regular meeting a week later.
For reference
The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, has provided Ukrainian businesses with preferential access to the EU market since 2016. Immediately after the outbreak of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, the EU introduced autonomous trade measures in June 2022 that allow duty-free access for all Ukrainian goods to the EU market. These measures were extended for one year in June 2023 and expire on June 5, 2024.