Farmers – EU: Agreement on an extension of duty-free trade for Ukraine

They concluded yesterday (27.3.2024) in a compromise on the extension of duty-free trade for the year, EU Member States, as farmers across the bloc protest the imports of food from the warring country, according to a Bloomberg report. The agreement reached by the farmers in the bloc follows an interim agreement with the European Parliament which proposed re-establishing customs duties on certain imports of food from Ukraine in case of over-supply. The compromise agreement will extend the reference period for import quantities back to the second half of 2021, before Russia’s invasion, according to Bloomberg. The last proposal d includes possible restrictions on wheat, despite the demands of France, Poland and Hungary. The extension of so-called autonomous trade measures, which must still be adopted by the European Parliament, will allow Kiev to maintain almost seamless access to the EU market after the current expiry date of 5 June. Member States generally supported the extension, but some pushed for the EU executive arm to provide guarantees for products such as corn, poultry, sugar and eggs if imports exceed the previous volume. The expansion of free trade measures has been at the heart of some of the farmers’ protests across Europe over the last few weeks, including the most recent in Poland and Belgium, along with increasing production costs and administrative burdens.