EU explains idea behind restrictions for Ukrainian farmers in Cluster 5 negotiating position

A special regime of restrictions for Ukrainian agriculture after Ukraine's accession to the EU is planned to be included in the EU's negotiating position at the stage of opening Cluster 5: Resources, Agriculture and Cohesion.

The European Commission will propose that restrictions be established for Ukraine's agricultural sector in the EU's common negotiating position for Cluster 5.

"We will propose to the Council of the EU to amend the draft common position regarding the opening of Cluster 5 for Ukraine. We believe that this can actually help achieve unanimity in the EU Council of the EU," an EU official familiar with the preparation of proposals for new approaches to EU enlargement told a European Pravda correspondent on condition of anonymity.

The official said the EU intends to finalise the conditions and restrictions for Ukrainian agricultural producers after Ukraine joins the EU following the relevant negotiations with the Ukrainian side, and will ultimately include the agreed wording when closing the agriculture chapter, which will take place closer to the end of the EU membership negotiations.

"This would define our position, which would then lead to the final agreement at the end of the negotiations," the European official added.

"The European Commission is already working on the assumption that after Ukraine's accession, its agricultural sector should not automatically receive the same access to agricultural subsidies and the EU market as the agricultural sectors of current member states, and that Ukrainian farmers should focus primarily on markets in non-EU countries," a second European Pravda source stated.

"Ukraine's agricultural sector is very different in terms of its productivity, in terms of unit costs, and in terms of its international markets. To treat them in the same way as any other sector that faces productivity challenges and might need financial support in the EU would mean conflating two objective situations that are very different," the first source explained.

The official stressed that before the war, almost all Ukrainian agricultural products were sold in North Africa and the Middle East.

"If we redirected those exports to the EU market, we would create serious, very serious problems for the countries that are currently buying – or used to buy before Russia started bombing grain shipments – Ukrainian meat and grain. This could actually potentially lead to famine in countries like Egypt and other North African countries, as we saw a few years ago when exports stopped. So from that point of view as well, there is a very important reason to avoid this situation," the official added.

European Pravda recently reported that European Commissioner Kos, presenting the draft of new approaches to enlargement on 6 October, also announced that provisions differing from those for other candidate countries could be agreed upon for Ukraine in the agricultural sector.

She noted that new approaches to the EU accession process, which will also include the idea of "gradual integration", will apply only to countries demonstrating progress in reforms.

It also emerged that the EU will present an accession roadmap for Ukraine on 28 October.