Kiev’s duty-free entry to bloc’s market will probably be prolonged however caps will probably be positioned on gadgets equivalent to honey, eggs, sugar and poultry
EU lawmakers have reached an settlement to increase Kiev’s duty-free entry to member states’ market however have determined to additionally introduce caps on numerous Ukrainian farm imports, the European Council introduced on Monday.
The preliminary determination has been accepted by EU ambassadors. The settlement will enter into power after it’s accepted by a European Parliament committee, which is about to fulfill on Tuesday.
In line with the newest association, the exemptions on tariffs initially granted to Kiev in 2022 after the launch of Russia’s navy operation in Ukraine will probably be prolonged for an additional yr, till June 2025.
Nonetheless, Brussels has additionally determined to “reinforce the safety of delicate agricultural merchandise” and has launched “computerized safeguards” for oats, corn/maize, and groats, in addition to produce like honey, eggs, poultry and sugar, to forestall low-cost imports from flooding the EU market.
Particularly, tariffs could be utilized to the listed produce if imports of it exceed common ranges of previous years. The European Fee has additionally proposed extending this reference interval to the second half of 2021, the yr earlier than the battle broke out.
Beforehand, it was estimated that these new safeguards may doubtlessly cut back Kiev’s earnings by some €240 million ($260 million) per yr.
The choice to restrict Ukrainian imports comes as farmers throughout Europe have been protesting for a number of months in opposition to the EU’s insurance policies, which, agricultural staff say, are threatening their livelihoods.
After the launch of Russia’s navy operation in Ukraine, the European Fee lifted all duties and quotas on Ukrainian items for a interval of 1 yr to permit its agricultural merchandise to be shipped to world markets. Nonetheless, these imports ended up flooding Jap European international locations, destabilizing markets
European farmers have complained that they merely can not compete with low-cost Ukrainian imports that aren’t topic to the identical tariffs and rules as EU-produced items.
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