Ukraine, EU have yet to launch trade talks under Article 29 of DCFTA – Minister of Justice
Negotiations to amend Article 29 of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, prompted by the upcoming expiration of the EU's Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) on June 5, have not yet begun.
"We haven't even started negotiations on Article 29 of the agreement yet," said Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice, speaking to Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the 17th Annual Kyiv Security Forum organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation "Open Ukraine."
"This is due to the fact that the European Commission has not appointed a negotiator on their side," she added.
According to Stefanishyna, it is too early to speak definitively about what changes might occur in trade with the EU after June 5. However, she emphasized that the trade regime will not fully revert to the pre-ATM conditions.
As previously reported, during the 10th meeting of the Ukraine-EU Association Council in Brussels on April 9, both parties stated that interim solutions could be introduced before amendments to Article 29 of the DCFTA are finalized.
"Ukraine expects a prompt revision of the DCFTA under Article 29(4), along with the development of interim measures in light of the expiry of the ATMs," read a joint document published on the EU website at the time.
The first ATMs came into effect on June 4, 2022, temporarily lifting duties, quotas, and trade restrictions on Ukrainian goods for one year. These measures were subsequently extended twice – on June 6, 2023, and again on June 6, 2024.
Ukrainian agricultural producers are concerned that, after June 5, 2025, trade with the EU may revert to the current DCFTA Article 29 provisions, which set very low quotas for the export of certain agricultural products. For instance, the quota for bioethanol exports – currently at 100,000 tonnes – could be reinstated. Negotiations are ongoing to increase these quotas, but there are growing concerns that too little time remains to formalize any changes before the June deadline.
At the same time, in the metallurgical sector, a proposal to maintain Ukraine's preferential import regime in the EU in the event of the ATM expiration is under consideration. On May 8, the European Parliament supported this measure, effectively paving the way to extend the current trade terms beyond June 5.
