The agreement would grant Ukrainian food producers tariff-free access to EU markets until June 2025, with new limits imposed on some product groups following months of protests from EU farmers over environmental regulations and cheap imports, the Reuters news agency reported.
It said negotiators for the European Parliament and Belgian EU presidency capped imports of Ukrainian oats, maize, groats and honey using a limit based on average 2022 and 2023 levels.
"Good news from Brussels," Shmyhal wrote in an X post on Wednesday. "The European Council and Parliament have provisionally agreed to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU until June 2025."
Shmyhal wrote in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that he expects the arrangements to be agreed by the European Parliament next month, according to Reuters.
"This 'economic visa-free regime' will allow us to maintain the dynamics of our exports, support Ukrainian producers and strengthen the foundation for further integration into the EU single market," Shmyhal said on Telegram, as cited by Reuters.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for an urgent solution to protests by Polish farmers at the shared border.
His appeal came after Polish farmers blocked their country's border with Ukraine in a protest against what they said were unfair European Union policies leading to an influx of cheap agricultural products from Ukraine.
Similar protests have taken place in other EU countries, reflecting broader discontent among agricultural producers across the bloc.
Polish and Ukrainian government ministers are scheduled to meet for talks in Warsaw on March 28.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
Wednesday is day 756 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: Reuters, IAR, PAP