Divisive deal: EU import quota for Ukrainian agricultural products increases

More Ukrainian grain and poultry could arrive

According to the trade agreement signed at the end of June but still awaiting ratification, the EU has increased the quotas for the following key products:

wheat: from 1 million tonnes to 1.3 million tonnes,

sugar: from 20,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes,

barley: from 350,000 tonnes to 450,000 tonnes,

poultry: from 90,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes.

The amendment, which affects 40 products, aims to support Ukrainian agriculture, which has been operating under war conditions since 2022. Brussels hopes that the expansion of quotas will make Ukrainian exports to the EU sustainable, while maintaining control over the protection of domestic farmers.

According to Kiev, this is not help, but a step back

However, the Ukrainian Agricultural Interest Group (UCAB) sharply criticized the decision, saying that the current quotas do not even reach the 2024 level. “The current Ukrainian conditions have not changed, while the EU is increasingly conservative towards imports from other countries. This is a step back,” the organization told Reuters. Ukraine is currently the EU’s third-largest agricultural supplier and its largest trading partner.

The Hungarian government also reacted sharply: According to Agriculture Minister István Nagy, “the Brussels deal with Ukraine would ruin farmers behind their backs,” which further relaxes the entry conditions for Ukrainian agricultural products.