EU-Ukraine enhanced trade deal takes effect with curbs on agricultural imports

The European Union and Ukraine activated an enhanced permanent trade framework on Wednesday with the entry into force of the upgraded Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (‘DCFTA’), delivering additional trade liberalisation while imposing limits on sensitive agricultural imports that had sparked farmer protests across the bloc.

The upgraded DCFTA limits EU imports of ‘sensitive’ agricultural products compared to volumes under previous temporary Autonomous Trade Measures that were put in place after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to a European Commission statement.

‘The upgraded DCFTA delivers additional, mutually beneficial trade liberalisation, while taking fully into account the sensitivity of certain EU agricultural sectors,’ the Commission said. ‘It illustrates in a very tangible way the EU’s unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine.’

The recalibration of EU agricultural policy follows a wave of farmer-led protests and border blockades across Poland, Hungary, and Romania between April 2023 and early 2025. Demonstrators argued that the influx of tariff-free Ukrainian grain — rerouted through Eastern Europe after Russia’s Ukraine invasion disrupted Black Sea exports — had depressed local prices and threatened their livelihoods.

The unrest, which peaked in early 2025 with coordinated cross-border actions, prompted several governments to impose unilateral import bans and demand stronger safeguards from Brussels.

The agreement in force now is structured around three key pillars: enhanced trade flows that carefully calibrate different levels of market access for specific products; aligned production standards requiring Ukraine to gradually adopt EU standards on animal welfare and pesticide use; and a robust safeguard clause enabling protective measures if imports cause serious difficulties.

‘For the most sensitive items, such as sugar, poultry, eggs, wheat, maize, and honey, there are only modest increases compared to the original DCFTA,’ the Commission stated. For certain non-sensitive products, full liberalisation has been agreed.

The safeguard mechanism can be activated at the level of one or more Member States, addressing concerns that import surges could destabilise regional markets even if overall EU imports remain manageable.

Both sides also agreed to explore measures helping Ukrainian exporters reach traditional markets in third countries, ‘thus providing additional commercial opportunities for Ukraine and contributing to global food security’.