Ukraine and Moldova: Council approves the renewal of EU’s autonomous trade measures
The Council approved today the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian and Moldovan exports to the EU for another year.
This renewal reaffirms the EU’s unwavering political and economic support for Ukraine, after two years of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression, and at the same time reinforces the protection of EU farmers as regards certain sensitive agricultural products.
Ukraine
The EU’s autonomous trade measures for Ukraine will apply from 6 June 2024 until 5 June 2025 and concern the continued suspension of all outstanding customs duties and quotas under Title IV of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (DCFTA).
The Regulation will also include two safeguard mechanisms to protect the EU market:
- a strengthened version of the existing safeguard mechanism, which will apply on the basis of regular monitoring, allowing the Commission to impose any measure provided that specific conditions are met;
- a new, automatic safeguard mechanism which will oblige the Commission to reintroduce quotas if imports of poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, maize, groats and honey exceed the arithmetic mean of quantities imported in the second half of 2021, in 2022 and in 2023.
Moldova
The EU’s autonomous trade measures for Moldova will apply from 25 July 2024 to 24 July 2025. They take the form of a temporary suspension of all outstanding customs duties and quotas under Title V of the Association Agreement. They also reinforce the protection for sensitive agricultural products, by beefing up the safeguard mechanism already included in the current Regulation.
Background
On 31 January 2024, the European Commission proposed to extend the suspension of import duties and quotas on all imports from Ukraine and Moldova to the EU for another year. The proposal was presented in the context of Russia’s continuing war of aggression against Ukraine and the consequent ongoing impact on Moldova, the resulting need to continue to support Ukraine and Moldova economically, and considering that Ukraine and Moldova were granted EU candidate status in June 2022 and accession negotiations were opened in December 2023.