Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the trade preferences for poultry meat and poultry meat preparations provided for by the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement

Summary:

Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Union and Ukraine amending certain trade preferences laid down by the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

Further information:

The Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, entered into force on 1 September 2017. The Agreement lays down preferential terms for bilateral trade in goods.

From mid-2016, a new type of poultry cut started to be imported from Ukraine to the EU in increasing quantities. The rapid increase in duty free imports of this particular poultry cut, which was neither existent nor foreseeable during the negotiation of the Association Agreement, undermines the protection provided for poultry breast under the Agreement and has the potential to disrupt the delicate balance in the poultry meat market of the EU.

In December 2018, the Council of the European Union authorised the European Commission to open negotiations with Ukraine with a view to finding a solution by amending the trade preferences for poultry meat and poultry meat preparations provided for by the Association Agreement. The negotiations were concluded in March 2019.

Proposals for the signing and conclusion of the Agreement were presented on 12 June 2019 by the European Commission. The signing of the Agreement was approved on 18 July by Council Decision (EU) 2019/1320. The European Parliament agreed with the conclusion of the Agreement on 26 November.

Official

EUR-Lex: Official Journal: L206, 06/08/2019: Decision (EU) 2019/1320 on the signing of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the trade preferences for poultry meat and poultry meat preparations provided for by the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2019.206.01.0001.01.ENG

EUR-Lex: COM(2019)267: Proposal for a Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the trade preferences for poultry meat and poultry meat preparations https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2019:267:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: EU/Euratom/Ukraine Association Agreement: trade preferences for poultry meat and poultry meat preparations https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2019/0132(NLE)

European Parliament: Press Release, 26/11/2019: Parliament closes legal loophole to stop excessive Ukrainian chicken imports https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20191121IPR67127/

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News

Politico, 14/03/2019: Chicken Kiev baron on course for big EU trade win https://www.politico.eu/article/yuriy-kosyuk-ukraine-chicken-kiev-baron-on-course-for-big-eu-trade-win/

Politico, 30/04/2019: Feathers fly in Europe’s battle with Ukrainian chicken boss https://www.politico.eu/article/anger-mounts-in-eu-as-chicken-kiev-baron-seeks-to-expand-empire/

Deutsche Welle, 10/06/2019: How Ukrainian poultry becomes EU produce https://p.dw.com/p/3K7r5

Bloomberg, 26/11/2019: EU Relief for Poultry Farmers Nears as Kiev’s Chicken Targeted https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-26/eu-plan-to-limit-imports-of-ukrainian-poultry-wins-political-nod

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