The European Commission will hold talks with Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland to persuade them to drop unilateral restrictions on certain Ukrainian agricultural exports now that a renewed EU-Ukraine trade deal has taken effect. Deputy Chief Spokesperson Olof Gill made the announcement at a press conference in Brussels on 31 October.
The updated Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement entered into force on 29 October. Brussels believes it strikes the right balance: supporting Ukraine’s economy with preferential access while protecting sensitive EU sectors, especially agri-food.
“To be absolutely clear,” Gill said, “the renewed DCFTA provides vital economic support to Ukraine through favorable trading conditions and reliable, adequate safeguards for sensitive EU sectors. We see no reason to extend the export bans.”
He confirmed that lifting the remaining national restrictions is the Commission’s sole priority for now. Formal dialogue with the three member states will begin immediately.
Asked whether the EU might pursue legal action to enforce compliance, Gill replied: “We will only consider other options if these negotiations fail to deliver the desired result.”
Kyiv has welcomed the Commission’s stance. According to European Pravda, the Office of the President of Ukraine expects a swift and decisive response should any country maintain unilateral measures. Ukraine insists that the EU Single Market rules and the Association Agreement must be respected without exception and reserves the right to choose appropriate legal countermeasures.