EDA calls for EU action for Ukraine support
Credit: Ukrainian Agri Council
Last year, EDA (European Dairy Association) celebrated Europe Day on 9 May 2024 jointly with the Ukrainian lactosphère in Kyiv and signed a memorandum of understanding. On 8 April 2024, the EU renewed the autonomous trade measures (ATM) for Ukraine until 5 June 2025, allowing Ukraine to continue generating income from trade flows with the EU, which has proven to be essential in order to support its economy. Coupled with the EU’s extensive military, financial and humanitarian support, this has significantly helped Ukraine in its efforts, not least on its gradual integration into the EU internal market.
The official statement at the time declared, “This renewal reaffirms the EU’s unwavering political and economic support for Ukraine, after two years of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression.”
The situation in Ukraine has clearly not changed to the better since 2024. Nevertheless, the approach of the Union has changed in the meantime, with an ATM renewal is no longer on the agenda. Instead, an agreement based on Article 29 of the UA-EU Association Agreement, which is a rather long process to re-negotiate the schedule of tariff reduction or elimination.
“For EDA, the position is clear. We stand with Ukraine and we reiterate our call with our Ukrainian dairy partners, for a longer-term establishment of the ATMs for milk and dairy with certain safeguard clauses and we advocate for a long-term integration of Ukrainian dairy into the European Single Market.
“The prolongation of the ATMs beyond 5 June 2025 is, beyond all economic considerations, a political imperative. The arguments presented by the Union for the 2024 prolongation are today more valid than ever. There is an urgent need for action at European Union level,” states EDA secretary general Alexander Anton.
In related news, on 28 April, Russian Shahed drones attacked an agricultural enterprise belonging to a member of the Ukrainian Agri Council in the village of Mokra Rokytna in the Kharkiv region. According to Andrii Dykun, chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council, the enemy used ten strike drones. The shelling damaged a calf barn, three cowsheds, storage facilities, an administrative building, and agricultural equipment.
“The farm had 281 dairy cows. At least 100 animals were killed by Russian strikes. The exact number will be known when the rubble is cleared,” Dykun said. According to Oleksandr Krasovsky, director of Agro Service SG, all the farm’s buildings were destroyed.
“Unfortunately, this is the second attack on our enterprise. The first attack took place on 23 February 2024. Six Shaheds flew in at night. We rebuilt everything and repaired everything. This time, some Shaheds had shrapnel charges,” says Krasovsky.
