On 13 October 2025, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision approving the EU’s position within the EU–Ukraine Association Committee on reducing or fully eliminating customs duties for a range of Ukrainian goods.
This step forms part of the review of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), agreed between the European Commission and the Government of Ukraine on 30 June 2025. Its main goal is to establish a long-term, stable, and mutually beneficial framework for bilateral trade in the context of Ukraine’s further integration into the EU.
Key Provisions of the Decision
- Elimination or reduction of tariffs on a significant share of Ukrainian agricultural products, including milk and dairy products, fruits, vegetables, meat, and meat products.
- Conditional market access: further expansion of access to the EU market will depend on the gradual alignment of Ukrainian standards with EU rules in areas such as animal welfare, pesticide use, and veterinary medicines.
- Safeguard mechanisms: in case of market disruptions, the document provides for preventive measures.
- Sensitive products: for goods such as sugar, poultry, eggs, wheat, corn, and honey, access will remain limited and gradual, without full liberalisation at this stage.
Next Steps
Following the Council’s decision, the document must be approved by the EU–Ukraine Association Committee in accordance with Article 29(4) of the Association Agreement. This step will launch a new phase in the review of the DCFTA terms, aimed at further expanding duty-free trade between Ukraine and the EU.
Background
The Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine was signed in 2014 and entered into force on 1 September 2017. Its objective is to bring Ukraine and the EU closer together by promoting deeper political ties, stronger economic links, and shared values.
The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) is the economic part of the Agreement, providing a framework for the modernisation of Ukraine’s economy and trade relations.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union granted Ukraine trade facilitations and exceptional instruments providing a high level of unilateral liberalisation — the so-called Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs). These measures were renewed in 2023 and 2024 and expired on 6 June 2025.