Five EU countries oppose new trade deal with Ukraine

At a meeting of the EU Agriculture Council on 14 July, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania expressed their dissatisfaction with a new agreement between Ukraine and the EU which is being drawn up based on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).

According to several EU diplomats who attended the meeting, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania believe that the new trade agreement with Ukraine, which the European Commission has proposed as a replacement for the visa-free trade regime that expired in early June, could destabilise EU agricultural markets.

“Five countries – Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania – raised the issue of the new trade conditions with Ukraine during a meeting of the EU Agriculture Council today. They are convinced that the new agreement under the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) could destabilise European markets,” a source said.

Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, also confirmed that trade with Ukraine was discussed at a meeting of the Council of the EU on 14 July in Brussels.

“At the request of a group of several countries, we also discussed the revised agreement with Ukraine,” Hansen said after the meeting.

The European commissioner recalled that the 2016 DCFTA had been due to be revised in 2021, but this became impossible due to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

“Differing views on this agreement have been expressed today, and I believe it is good to have a frank discussion in this format. I presented the facts about this agreement and said that it is in the best interests of our farmers,” Hansen said.

However, European Pravda has learned that the five countries are continuing to insist on changes to draft amendments to the DCFTA that have already been agreed with Ukraine.

On 30 June, the European Commission concluded negotiations with Ukraine on the main principles of the review of the DCFTA between Ukraine and the EU following the expiration of the Autonomous Trade Measures, which had introduced preferential treatment for Ukrainian exporters until 5 June 2025.

Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s trade representative, has provided details of the updated free trade agreement with the EU, which was agreed earlier this week.

Tags: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, EU, Poland, Hungary