MEPs extend trade support for Moldova, pursue Ukraine talks
Process in Brief
Parliament amended the Commission’s proposal to suspend import duties and quotas on Ukrainian agricultural exports from 6 June 2024 to 5 June 2025 and referred the report back to the Committee on International Trade to start negotiations with the Council. MEPs also voted to suspend all remaining duties on imports from Moldova for another year.
What Is at Stake
The measures maintain liberalised access for Ukrainian agricultural products and give the Commission powers to take swift action, including an emergency brake for particularly sensitive agricultural products, while MEPs expanded the list of sensitive products and widened the reference date for average-volume calculations. Liberalisation for Ukraine is conditional on respect for democratic principles, human rights, the rule of law and sustained efforts to fight corruption and organised crime, and most Moldovan exports already benefit from duty-free access under the Association Agreement.
Timeline
On Moldova the measures must be formally approved by EU governments and should enter into force immediately when the current regulation expires; the current suspensions expire on 5 June 2024 for Ukraine and on 24 July 2024 for Moldova, and MEPs will start negotiations with the Council on Ukraine.
A more detailed briefing is published separately.
Sources
Official Documents
- MEPs agree to extend trade support for Moldova, continue work on Ukraine MEPs extended the suspension of import duties and quotas for Ukrainian exports for another year and suspended Moldova's remaining duties for one year; Ukraine's file referred to ITRE to begin negotiations with the Council.
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