Ukraine will become an agricultural part of the EU under special conditions: Brussels outlines the future of grain exports
Kyiv • UNN
The EU may restrict access for certain Ukrainian agricultural products to its market. The final terms will be determined during accession negotiations.
After joining the European Union, Ukraine will become part of the EU's common agricultural policy, but special conditions may be introduced for its agricultural sector. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated this while speaking with journalists on October 13 in Luxembourg, UNN reports, citing the European Commission.
In particular, Brussels proposes preserving the focus of Ukrainian grain exports on traditional markets in North Africa, the Middle East and other Asian countries, while restricting access for certain types of agricultural products to the European market.
Details
According to Kos, integrating Ukraine's agricultural sector into the European Union will require a special approach because of the scale of agricultural production in Ukraine and its competitiveness. The European commissioner explained that the proposed mechanism must simultaneously take into account the interests of European farmers and ensure opportunities for the further development of Ukrainian agricultural exports.
We must protect European farmers. And secondly, we must help Ukrainian agriculture develop so that it can export its products throughout the world, especially grain and wheat. Of course, Ukrainian producers must also be ready to comply with all European standards
She noted that the European Commission proposes applying targeted special arrangements that should be taken into account when preparing the future treaty on Ukraine's accession to the EU. The final parameters of such a mechanism have not yet been determined. They are expected to be agreed upon as part of negotiations between Ukraine and the European Union.
Kos also drew attention to the need to protect European funding, in particular the funds allocated to support agriculture.
Why the EU is proposing special conditions for Ukraine
On October 6, the European Commission presented a package of proposals to prepare the European Union for future enlargement. The document devoted particular attention to Ukraine's agricultural sector.
In Brussels, they believe that the considerable scale of production and high productivity of Ukrainian agriculture require special integration mechanisms. In particular, the European Commission proposed significantly limiting financial support and access to the European market for certain sensitive categories of Ukrainian agricultural products.
At the same time, the EU should help Ukraine restore its presence in traditional foreign markets. These primarily include the countries of North Africa and the Middle East, which have historically purchased significant volumes of Ukrainian grain.
In this way, Brussels seeks to avoid a situation in which, after Ukraine joins the EU, large volumes of Ukrainian agricultural products are redirected to the bloc's domestic market and intensify competition for local producers.
What Ukraine's position will be
The Ukrainian side has already expressed reservations about the possible introduction of permanent restrictions on agricultural exports after accession to the EU.
Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi previously stated that Kyiv was ready to discuss transitional periods for adapting the agricultural sector, but did not agree to an indefinite restriction on access for Ukrainian products to the European market. According to him, temporary mechanisms could be part of the negotiation process, but permanent restrictions would contradict the principle of full membership in the European Union.
The Ukrainian side also emphasizes that any special conditions for sensitive agricultural goods, including their list, the duration of restrictions and possible mechanisms for supporting producers, must be determined exclusively during accession negotiations.
When the final conditions may become known
The integration of Ukraine's agricultural sector will be considered within negotiation cluster No. 5, which covers agriculture, resources and cohesion. The European Commission plans to take into account the specific features of Ukrainian agricultural production when formulating the EU's position on opening the relevant negotiation cluster.
At the same time, Marta Kos had previously emphasized that special conditions for agriculture do not mean introducing a separate or inferior format of Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.
We remind you
Ukrainian agricultural associations insist on a 10-year transition period after Ukraine joins the EU, so that adaptation to European directives does not lead to a reduction in production, billions in losses, and weakened competitiveness of the sector.