The decision, announced on Monday 13 May, will suspend import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year, from 6 June 2024 to 5 June 2025. This builds on similar measures introduced in 2022 to ease the economic burden of the war in Ukraine.
While offering support to Ukraine, the EU has also implemented safeguard mechanisms to address potential disruptions to its agricultural market. A strengthened monitoring system will allow the Commission to take necessary actions if specific conditions are met. Additionally, a new “automatic safeguard” will automatically reintroduce quotas on imports of poultry, eggs, sugar, and other sensitive products if they exceed pre-determined levels based on import volumes from 2021 to 2023.
Moldova will also benefit from the extended trade support. The existing suspension of duties and quotas on Moldovan exports to the EU will be renewed for a year, running from July 25th, 2024, to July 24th, 2025. Similar to Ukraine’s measures, safeguards for sensitive agricultural products will be bolstered within the existing framework.