European Parliament Extends Trade Preferences for Ukraine and Moldova

The decision, passed with 26 votes in favour, 10 against, and one abstention, extends the temporary suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU for another year, from June 6, 2024, to June 5, 2025.

Additionally, the legislation grants the European Commission the authority to “take swift measures and implement any necessary actions in case of significant disruptions in the EU market or in the markets of one or more EU countries due to Ukrainian imports.”

In a separate vote, the committee agreed by 28 votes in favour, two against, and six abstentions to suspend all import duties from Moldova for another year.

This decision is expected to be voted on by the European Parliament in the first reading at next week’s plenary session.

Subsequently, the Council will officially approve the regulation, which will come into effect after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

In February, the permanent representatives of EU member states agreed on the EU Council’s mandate to negotiate the proposal, aiming to extend the suspension of import quotas and duties on Ukrainian exports for another year.

At the end of January, the European Commission officially proposed extending import quotas and duties for Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year, while including safeguards for agricultural products, as demanded by several EU countries.

However, this proposal did not satisfy farmers in EU countries bordering Ukraine, leading to protests, particularly in Poland.