Ukraine will not agree to permanent restrictions on agricultural exports after joining EU, minister says
Ukraine "cannot agree" to an EU membership model that would permanently limit sales of certain food products to the bloc.
Source: Taras Vysotskyi, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, in a comment to Politico; European Pravda
Details: Vysotskyi made it clear that Ukraine does not approve of a model that would entail agricultural restriction as part of membership conditions solely for Ukraine.
Quote from Vysotskyi: "For us, there is a fundamental difference between a transitional period and a permanent restriction. Ukraine is prepared for the former. The latter would run counter to the very logic of full European Union membership."
The European Commission's proposal, presented on 6 October, states that it wants to "significantly limit financial support and market access for sensitive agricultural products" from Ukraine.
Instead of giving Kyiv full market access, the European Commission would rather help Ukraine get back into its "historic" export markets, which include Africa and the Middle East, the draft document states.
At the same time, Vysotskyi insists that Ukraine should not be seen as a sole threat to European farmers. He argues that Ukraine could help the EU become less dependent on imports from third countries for commodities such as fertilisers, soybeans and lysine for animal feed, and give EU producers better access to export routes via the Black Sea.
Ukraine could also be a place to invest in food processing facilities, Vysotskyi noted.
Quote from Vysotskyi: "Our goal is to reach membership with a sector that sells Europe not only grain and other raw materials but also animal feed, ingredients, processed products, and biofuels."
Vysotskyi confirmed that Ukraine is open to a transition period, which could include phasing in farm support, temporary quotas and safeguards for sensitive products. However, he stressed that such measures must have a clearly defined end date.
Background:
- On 6 October, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated in the context of Ukraine's EU accession that the scale, structure and very high productivity of Ukraine's agricultural sector make it necessary to explore targeted solutions that will only apply to sensitive agricultural products.
- It was previously reported that Kos wants to open two more clusters for Ukraine and Moldova next week.
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