The nearly unlimited import of Ukrainian poultry meat is coming to an end. The Association Agreement with the Eastern European country will be amended so that the free import of chicken breast fillets is partially restricted but also partially maintained.
This is intended to put an end to the flood of cheap Ukrainian chicken meat flooding the European market through a loophole. Ukraine is allowed to export 50 million kilos more chicken breast tariff-free to the EU, but from now on chicken breast with a small piece of bone attached will also fall under this.
By cutting chicken breasts in a special way, with wing and skin attached, the Ukrainians used a loophole to bring kilos more chicken breasts into the EU than the 20,000 tons agreed upon in 2014. Chicken breast with a piece of wing attached could be imported into the EU without limit.
After Dutch Members of the European Parliament raised the alarm about this, the European Commission negotiated with the government in Kiev to adjust the treaty.
In a resolution passed with 444 votes in favor, 128 against, and 74 abstentions, Parliament calls on Ukraine for loyal cooperation and a “thorough, faithful and rigorous implementation” of the agreement. European politicians add that the EU standards for food safety and health are non-negotiable.