Ukraine's Rada calls on European peers to vote for trade concessions without change

Some 230 out of the 339 Ukrainian lawmakers registered in the session hall voted for this decision.

The Rada calls on the European Parliament to adopt a draft legislative initiative to introduce additional autonomous preferences for goods originating in Ukraine in the version proposed by the European Commission, without exceptions and reductions.

The Ukrainian parliament believes that such trade preferences will first and foremost become an important signal of the European Union's political solidarity with Ukraine. The appeal says that the Verkhovna Rada "highly appreciates the efforts of the European Parliament aimed at the full support of the European future of Ukraine."

Read alsoEU reaches compromise over trade quotas for UkraineAt the same time, in keeping with a recent deal with EU ministers, the EU must offer more trade concessions to Ukraine, but a number of agricultural products need less support.

As the European Parliament reported on its website on June 20, the EU is set to offer further trade concession to Kyiv, according to a recent agreement with EU ministers. MEPs approved most of the proposed new concessions with some exceptions. Namely, annual additional quota volume of tomatoes reduces to 3,000 tonnes per year from 5,000 tonnes per year; wheat quota from 100,000 to 65,000, maize quota from 650,000 to 625,000, barley from 350,000 to 325,000 and urea, a raw material for fertilizers, does not enjoy further quota preferences than those outlined in the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).

The deal foresees that the fight against corruption becomes a condition for granting Ukraine preferential exports, and industry representatives, not just member states, may request a study on possible measures protecting EU producers.

The agreement was approved by 29 votes to eight, with one abstention.

The full House will vote on the trade concessions at the July plenary session in Strasbourg.