The EU and Moldova agreed on the new trade agreement

The European Commission and Moldova agreed on Thursday regarding the new trade agreement. Both sides want the principles of bringing from Moldova to the EU to be liberalized, including apples, plums, cherries, grapes, garlic and tomatoes. In turn, the Moldovan market is to open, among others for poultry from the Union.

After a Russian assault to Ukraine in 2022, the European Union liberalized trade not only with this country, but also with the neighboring Moldova. On Thursday, the regulation has expired, which means that trade between the EU and Moldova will return to the rules before the war from Friday and will be based on an association agreement concluded in 2016.

On Thursday, the EC informed that under the association agreement it negotiated new rules that are to strengthen trade between the two parties.

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The EU agreed to increase the limits of imports of Moldovan plums, table grapes, apples and cherries. They are to reflect the quantities that have recently entered the EU under the regulation liberalizing trade. The import of grape juice, garlic and tomatoes is to be released from customs (however, the latter will be subject to the input price system determining the minimum price threshold, above which the price of imported products should remain).

In turn, Moldova will open to pork and poultry, frozen bone without bone, milk and butter.

The EC will now propose new conditions to the member states to accept. Until the entry into force of the new agreement, trade between the EU and Moldova will apply on the terms included in the association agreement.

The EC statement reads that access to the EU market for products from Moldova depends on the gradual adaptation of this country to the relevant EU production standards, such as the use of pesticides, which is in line with the “logic of the accession process” to the EU.

According to the EC, the liberalized trade with Moldova allowed the EU export to increase this country from EU 1.8 billion in 2021 to EUR 2.2 billion in 2024.

The EC has previously negotiated new trade rules with Ukraine after the regulation liberalizing trade with this country expired at the beginning of June this year. The agreement covers Ukraine's obligation to gradually adapt agricultural production standards to EU standards up to 2028.

From Brussels Magdalena Cedro (PAP)

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