After extensive weekend negotiations with Ukrainian colleagues, the European Commission stated Monday that a new version of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), the main framework for trade between the EU and Ukraine, had been agreed in principle.
“The family is where Ukraine belongs. Following the deal’s announcement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated in a letter, “We remain committed to a path of mutual growth and stability, leading to its full integration in our Union.”
Since 2022, Autonomous commerce Measures (ATMs), a provisional framework put in place following Russia’s full-scale invasion, have regulated commerce between the two countries.
The ATMs provided vital access to European markets throughout the conflict, particularly for goods such as grain, maize, eggs, and poultry, by eliminating all tariffs and restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU. The ATMs are “exceptional instruments offering a very high level of unilateral liberalisation yearly since 2022,” according to Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen.
The new deal seeks to achieve “the right balance between supporting Ukraine’s trade with the Union and addressing the sensitivities of a number of EU agriculture sectors and related concerns,” according to Hansen. It is less ambitious than the previous plan, which ended earlier this month.
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