The European Union has come to meet its farmers: duties will soon be levied on large batches of some Ukrainian agricultural products again, Das Erste TV channel reports. Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states reached a preliminary agreement on new rules for the import of agricultural products from Ukraine. The agreement still needs to be approved by member states and parliament.
The new rules will apply only to certain food products from Ukraine. In particular, they will affect poultry meat, eggs, sugar, oats, corn, semolina and honey. These agricultural products can be imported duty-free into the EU only up to a certain amount. Once this amount is reached, customs duties will need to be paid again. The purpose of the current agreement is to support farmers in the EU. However, it seems to many that this is not enough.
Hungary advocated that in the future Ukrainian wheat could also be imported into the EU duty-free only up to a certain amount. Voices were also heard from France calling for stronger customs regulations. So far, they do not apply to wheat, but the European Commission is likely to take measures if, for example, wheat prices in the EU fall sharply due to Ukrainian imports. The degree of impact of Ukrainian imports on the EU market is currently the subject of debate.
After approval by the European Parliament and EU countries, the new rules will enter into force on June 6 and will be valid for one year. The current customs benefits for Ukraine expire in the summer. If a new resolution is not approved by that time, the benefits will be canceled without replacement.
