Ukraine Rejects Permanent EU Limits on Its Farm Exports After Accession

Ukraine will not accept EU membership terms that permanently cap its sales of sensitive farm products to the bloc, Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi said on Tuesday, Oct. 6, hours after the European Commission backed such restrictions. Vysotskyi revealed Kyiv’s position to Politico in the form of a written statement. Earlier on Tuesday, the Commission had adopted its pre-enlargement policy review, a package designed to prepare the EU’s institutions, policies and budget for the arrival of new members.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Among the proposals was to curb Ukraine’s access to farm subsidies and the EU market for certain agricultural goods – even after the country joins the bloc. “For us, there is a fundamental difference between a transitional period and a permanent restriction. Ukraine is prepared for the former,” Vysotskyi told Politico. “The latter would run counter to the very logic of full EU membership,” he continued. While Kyiv remains open to temporary arrangements, such as gradually phasing in farm subsidies, temporary quotas and safeguards for sensitive products, it reiterated that every such measure must have a fixed end date. Leaked draft signaled special terms The outlines of the plan surfaced a day earlier, on Monday, Oct. 5, when the Financial Times reported on an internal Commission document on reforming the enlargement process which it had reviewed. According to Ukrainska Pravda citing FT, the draft justified special treatment by pointing to the size, structure and productivity of Ukraine’s farm sector. Other Topics of Interest 2 Months Under Drapaty: Ukraine’s Army Is Winning Since Mykhailo Drapaty has taken over Ukraine’s military, Russia has been hit with counteroffensives and heavy losses, losing more ground than it has gained. It also singled out wheat and other grains as products where support and market access could be significantly restricted. The restrictions were reportedly intended to calm existing members of the bloc that are worried about competition from Ukrainian grain and oilseeds, including Poland, France and Italy. Instead of full access to the EU market, Brussels proposed helping Ukraine win back traditional export markets disrupted by Russia’s ongoing aggression. According to Politico, the Commission would rather help Ukraine get back into its “historic” export markets, which include primarily the Middle East and Africa. The draft also proposed tying new members’ access to EU funds to reform progress and it easier to strip a member state of its voting rights for breaking EU rules. It envisaged individual accession roadmaps for Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania, none with a fixed membership date. The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy provides about €55 billion ($62 billion) a year in agricultural funding, including an agricultural reserve of at least €450 million ($507 million) annually to address market disruptions and exceptional events affecting production or distribution. Vysotskyi pushes back against threat claims In his statement to Politico, Vysotskyi pushed back against the idea that Ukrainian agriculture is “solely” a threat to EU farmers. He argued that Ukraine could reduce the bloc’s reliance on imports from third countries for fertilizers, soybeans and lysine used in animal feed. According to him, Ukraine could also open Black Sea export routes to EU producers and serve as a destination for investment in food processing. “Our goal is to reach membership with a sector that sells Europe not only grain and other raw materials but also animal feed, ingredients, processed products, and biofuels,” Vystoskyi concluded. Talks with Kyiv already begun According to European Pravda, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said that the scale and productivity of Ukrainian farming called for “targeted arrangements for sensitive agricultural products only.” She, however, did not provide additional details. According to Kos, discussions with Kyiv had already begun and the specific terms could be set when the EU opens the agriculture cluster, No. 5 – the last one still closed to Ukraine. “What we propose now is about protecting European farmers,” she said, insisting that Ukraine could still become a full member despite the special conditions. Later on Tuesday, the main conditions for another part of the package was outlined; gradual integration, which allows candidates to join selected EU policies before formal accession. The package, according to Kos, also proposes moving away from unanimity toward majority voting in several policy areas. The change could make it harder for a single member state to stall enlargement. The EU leaders are set to further discuss the proposals at the European Council summit on Oct. 15-16. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.