Tusk stated that the "trade visa-free regime" between Ukraine and the EU will expire in June
Kyiv • UNN
According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the EU will abandon the ATM mechanism, which allowed duty-free imports of Ukrainian goods. Warsaw will return to the pre-war regime.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in the Sejm that the EU mechanism allowing duty-free imports of goods from Ukraine will cease to operate in June, reports UNN with reference to RMF24.
When we won the elections, one of our first decisions was to immediately make changes to the ATM (Autonomous Trade Measures - ed.) mechanism in order to introduce certain quotas, but this was only the beginning. Later, together with my ministers, I started a campaign for the EU to abandon the ATM mechanism, which liberalized trade with Ukraine
He noted that from June 5 this mechanism will not be in place and in matters of border regime "we are returning to the pre-war situation."
The head of government noted that the introduction of the ATM mechanism by the European Union "widely opened the Polish border for Ukrainian products, especially agricultural products, which are imported without any control." He added that this decision was made by the government of Mateusz Morawiecki.
The Prime Minister assured that the government will take care of Polish economic interests, even if they "conflict" with Ukrainian interests.
"I have no problem with this, because no one will tell me that I am against Ukraine when it comes to the Ukrainian-Russian war," Donald Tusk emphasized.
Let us remind
The EU introduced the Autonomous Trade Measures (ATM) mechanism in June 2022 after Russia started the war in Ukraine. ATM provides duty-free import of all Ukrainian goods into the countries of the European Union. In 2023, the term of this decision was extended for one year.
In January 2024, the European Commission proposed extending the operation of the ATM, while introducing maximum quotas for certain products in order to protect the EU market. These include eggs, poultry, sugar, oats, corn, cereals and honey.
In connection with the liberalization of trade, a wave of farmers' protests swept through Poland, who blocked border crossings with Ukraine in protest.