Goods originating in Ukraine: reduction or elimination of customs duties

2014/0090(COD)

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Paweł ZALEWSKI (EPP, PL) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the reduction or elimination of customs duties on goods originating in Ukraine.

The committee supported this legislative proposal without amendment and proposed that the Parliament endorse its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal, without further modification, given the urgency of the situation in Ukraine.

Indeed, Ukraine has gone through dramatic political times in recent months and its new government needs strong and immediate European assistance to fight off external pressures and to overcome economic and financial hardships.

Members considered that the proposal presents a number of concrete benefits. By reducing temporarily and unilaterally its trade barriers on the imports of Ukrainian goods into the EU to level agreed bilaterally in the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), the proposal will help Ukrainian companies in increasing their exports' volumes and in diversifying their exports' destinations.