The European Parliament approved the extension for a year (from June 6) of duty-free trade in Ukrainian agricultural products while introducing new import restriction levels to appease EU protesters.
According to EU diplomats, the restrictions will cut Ukraine’s export earnings by €331M compared to exports in 2023.
What could have been a routine extension, originally proposed in January, has turned into a protracted debate over new restrictions as protests by EU farmers have mounted, particularly in Poland.
The EC’s initial proposal called for tariffs to come into force on poultry, eggs, and sugar if imports exceed average levels in 2022 and 2023. EU lawmakers added oats, groats, corn, and honey to the list, while France and Poland insisted that the calculation period include 2021, the year before the Russian invasion when imports were lower because of tariffs.