Ukraine welcomes the decision of the Council of the European Union to extend for one year the measures regarding the full liberalization of trade with Ukraine, which include the abolition of all customs duties, quotas, and trade protection restrictions on Ukrainian exports. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine issued a corresponding statement on May 25.
At the same time, the ministry is convinced that any exceptions and restrictions do not correspond either to the spirit of the EU's close partnership with Ukraine as a candidate country for EU membership, or to the letter of the Association Agreement and EU founding treaties.
"That is why we emphasize once again that introduced restrictive measures imposed by the European Commission on May 2 under the pressure of individual EU member states on four types of Ukrainian export products (wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds) are unjustified, harm Ukrainian producers and, accordingly, weaken the economy of Ukraine in the conditions of an ongoing full-scale war," the statement emphasizes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expects that these restrictions, which are in effect until June 5 of this year, will not be extended after this date and will be canceled.
"Otherwise, we will consider the continuation of trade restrictions as an example of double standards, which will only undermine the EU's solidarity with Ukraine and demonstrate the inability of the EU institutions to apply the norms of the EU founding treaties and the Association Agreement. We call on those member states behind the attempt to extend the restrictions to refrain from such a step and choose a way to resolve the disputed issues, which would correspond to the principles of the single market, the norms of the Association Agreement, and the WTO," the statement summarizes.
