The European Union has decided to reinstate quotas on agricultural imports from Ukraine, which were suspended at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022 to support Ukrainian farmers. The updated restrictions will come into force on June 6, Bloomberg reported, citing the European Commission.
According to a European Commission representative, the quotas will be a temporary measure. The EU is currently working on revising the deep and comprehensive trade area between the EU and Ukraine. The quotas, available until the end of 2025, will amount to 7/12 of the usual annual volumes.
No member state opposed the decision. Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, and Lithuania abstained.
Bloomberg recalled that agricultural exports are crucial to Ukraine’s economy, and easy trade with the EU has helped Ukrainian farmers overcome major difficulties, including the temporary loss of their main export route through the Black Sea and production problems caused by landmines and military conscription.
However, the sharp increase in exports of relatively cheap Ukrainian goods to the EU market has sparked resistance from local farmers in countries such as Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. This has provoked a political standoff over protectionist measures between neighboring countries, some of which, such as Poland, were previously strong allies of Ukraine.
