On 14 May 2025, as part of the continued bilateral cooperation between parliamentary committees, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian Policy and Land Relations held a videoconference with Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and AGRI coordinators.
Opening remarks were delivered by Veronika Vrecionová, Chairperson of the European Parliament's Committee, and Oleksandr Haidu, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Committee.
The discussions focused on pressing issues concerning the future trade regime following the expiry of the Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) on 5 June 2025, the implications of the new trade conditions for Ukrainian farmers, and ensuring the continued export of Ukraine’s agricultural products. Particular attention was paid to safeguarding Ukraine’s role as a guarantor of global food security.
Members of the Verkhovna Rada Committee emphasized that the current uncertainty surrounding the trade regime after 5 June is already creating significant risks. In particular, European importers are withdrawing from contracts with Ukraine and shifting their focus to suppliers from third countries.
Committee Chair Oleksandr Haidu underscored that trade with Ukraine represents a vital contribution to the stability of food security in Europe and globally. The Ukrainian agricultural sector accounts for nearly 60% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings from exports, over 15% of GDP, and is among the largest taxpayers.
Therefore, a return to the tariff or quota regime of 2021 could deliver a serious economic blow, potentially resulting in the loss of up to €3.3 billion in export revenue and a 2.5% decline in GDP by the end of 2025. Such outcomes would also pose risks to Ukraine’s defence capabilities. Moreover, this could negatively affect the EU market as well, destabilizing supply chains and driving food prices up across the region — from the Baltics to the Mediterranean.
He also noted that on 16 April 2025, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a Resolution “On the Appeal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the parliaments and governments of the EU Member States” regarding the necessity of maintaining the Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) beyond 5 June 2025.
Ukraine has been—and continues to be—one of the most reliable suppliers of agri-food products to the EU, contributing to the stability of the Union’s agri-food balances. In this regard, Ukraine and the European Union today have the opportunity to jointly form a structural pillar of the global food security architecture.
Furthermore, Members of the Verkhovna Rada Committee highlighted that the integration of Ukraine’s agricultural sector into the EU represents a significant challenge for both sides. This is especially true in light of ongoing legislative changes, the revision of the Common Agricultural Policy, the adaptation of support programmes, transitional processes, and trade-related nuances. At the same time, it was recalled that the very formation of the European Union itself was a complex and demanding process.
Chair of the Committee Oleksandr Haidu proposed to colleagues from the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development the establishment of an EU–Ukraine Interparliamentary Platform on Agricultural Affairs. This “joint forum” would enable both committees to engage in well-grounded discussions and explore mutually beneficial solutions to pressing issues—such as trade relations, expanding and strengthening cooperation in the legislative harmonization process, and supporting Ukraine’s accession negotiations with the European Union.
Members of the Verkhovna Rada Committee expressed their sincere gratitude to the European Parliament for its steadfast support of Ukraine and its cooperation in preventing a food crisis across Europe and globally.
Participants in the meeting included: Deputy Chairperson of the Committee Serhii Rudyk; Head of the Subcommittee on the Approximation of Ukrainian Legislation to the European Union Acquis and the Fulfilment of Ukraine’s International Legal Obligations in the Sphere of European Integration, Maryna Nikitina; Committee Member Serhii Labaziuk; Head of the Committee Secretariat Oleksandr Starynets; and Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development—Herbert Dorfmann, Dario Nardella, Raffaele Stancanelli, Elsi Katainen, Thomas Waitz, Ivan David, and Luke 'Ming' Flanagan.