On May 19 2025, the first Ukrainian field meeting of the Committee on Economic Development of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the EU Parliament in Brussels was held.
This session became a joint event with the Committee on International Trade of the EU (INTA), which is an unprecedented step into the development of international dialogue between Ukraine and the EU. Participants of the meeting discussed the extension of the Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) regime for goods produced in Ukraine, which the EU introduced to support Ukraine following the start of the full-scale invasion.
As a result of the discussion, participants reached a clear understanding: it is necessary to jointly exert pressure on the European Commission to urgently launch negotiations on a new Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Such an agreement should address new challenges, ensure long-term stability, and open up new opportunities for business and integration.
«We emphasized: Ukraine is not merely a trade partner — we are partners in building a shared future, the members of the Committee on Economic Development stated. A future based on mutual respect, common interests, and trust. In our view, partnership with the EU is not just about access to the market, but about shared responsibility in shaping a stable, sustainable, and integrated European economic area, in which Ukraine holds its rightful place.
We firmly believe that Europe needs Ukraine just as much as Ukraine needs Europe. Our economies are already interconnected, and the time has come to take the next bold step — to establish a new quality of cooperation that addresses both the challenges and the potential of future enlargement.
We sincerely thank the INTA Committee for its openness, principled stance, and genuine desire to find common solutions.
We value your support and believe that our joint work on a new trade agreement will become a strong foundation for Ukraine’s economic integration into the EU.»