EU Council: agricultural products from Moldova, measures for temporary liberalisation of trade. Síkela, “stop customs duties”

Today, the EU Council adopted a regulation that will temporarily liberalise trade in the seven agricultural products of Moldova that have not been fully liberalised yet: tomatoes, garlic, table grapes, apples, cherries, plums and grape juice. “This means that Moldova can at least double up its exports of such products – for one year – to the European Union without customs duties”, a release from Brussels explains. “We cannot underestimate the impact that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has had on Moldova. By repealing customs duties on the remaining agricultural products that have not been completely liberalised yet, now Moldova can export at least twice as much of such products in the EU without customs duties. By taking such exceptional measures, the European Union is strengthening its trade relations with Moldova and is showing support for the stabilisation of the country’s economy”, Jozef Síkela, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, specifies on behalf of the current EU presidency. “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine has had a devastating impact on Ukraine, as well as on the Republic of Moldova. This has unfavourably affected Moldova’s ability to trade with the rest of the world, since its exports largely depend on Ukrainian infrastructure, and the country is by now denied access to its markets in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus”.
Valentina Bombelli