Ambassadors from the EU member states reached a compromise on the issue of extending the preferential trade regime with Ukraine for another year. The agreement provides that the base period that will be considered for activating the protective mechanism will be extended to include the second half of 2021 (previously, average volumes for 2022-2023 were considered).
The latest proposal does not include potential restrictions on wheat despite demands from France, Poland, and Hungary. Some countries have also demanded that the EU use its executive power to guarantee products such as corn, poultry, sugar, and eggs will be restricted if imports exceed previous levels.
A new compromise decision will be submitted to the European Parliament for consideration. If approved, Kyiv will retain almost unhindered access to the EU market after June 5.
Meanwhile, Moldova has extended the licensing regime for another three months to import three Ukrainian crops – wheat, corn, and sunflower seeds.