Ukraine, against whose exports of sugar, eggs and oats to the EU protective measures have already been introduced, in accordance with the updated Autonomous Trade Measures, is about to use up the limits of duty-free trade with the EU and other types of agricultural products, which means that soon Ukraine will reach the limit in duty-free trade with the EU in honey, corn and chicken.
European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said this in Brussels during a press conference following the EU Council of Ministers on Agriculture and Fisheries.
The Agriculture Commissioner said he was satisfied that during the discussion on Ukraine, the member states, in general, expressed positive opinions about the new Autonomous Trade Measures and preventive protective safeguards that were introduced. It was the initiative of the European Commissioner for Agriculture to present these import limits, and they were working. They were activated for three products – sugar, eggs and oats. The EC is monitoring the situation for other sensitive products, he added. The closest to the cap is honey, the export of which has already reached 89% of the limit, corn reached 67% and chicken reached 59%.
At the same time, he noted that criticism coming from some European politicians and the European community against the EU Common Agricultural Policy, claiming it was aimed at reducing domestic production and further increasing dependence on imported products, were groundless. According to the European Commissioner, the EU was and will remain the world’s largest exporter of agricultural products.
Last year, Wojciechovski noted, the positive balance of the EU in trade in agricultural products reached a record EUR 70 billion. This year, the record can be beat because in the first quarter alone, such a positive balance of the EU in trade with third countries already amounted to EUR 18 billion. (Ukrinform)