As reported by the media Forbes
At Slovakia’s request, on September 22 EU ministers will convene for a meeting of the Council of the EU to discuss agricultural trade between Ukraine and the EU. The information was confirmed by three top EU diplomats as of September 19.
The first source explained that the meeting would take place in the afternoon of September 22 due to Slovakia’s request regarding the agreement with Ukraine.
“There are questions from Slovakia regarding the agreement with Ukraine”
Context and Expectations
The second interlocutor noted that the review of Article 29 of the “Agreement on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the EU and Ukraine” (DCFTA) is progressing in the Council of the EU successfully, despite some divergences among member states. He also noted that this is not within the remit of the Council for Agriculture and Fisheries, but discussions on trade related to agriculture are on the agenda.
“But ministers may express their views, which is why trade issues related to agriculture are on the agenda”
According to Slovakia’s government note to the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, Bratislava is calling for “a reliable mechanism to ensure adequate protection against market distortion.” Despite broad support for revising the DCFTA among most countries, the document records opposition from some participants, but at the same time expresses support for creating a dedicated fund for farmers.
“a reliable mechanism to ensure proper protection against market distortion.”
According to the joint declaration by the member states dated July 9, 2025, the EU welcomes the creation of a dedicated fund for farmers intended to compensate losses of primary producers due to excessive imports from Ukraine.
In Slovakia, it is emphasized that earlier liberalization of trade with Ukraine had a negative impact on local producers, and they call the draft agreement a “one-sided concession to Ukrainian exports at the expense of Slovak farmers.” At the same time, the EU introduced in 2022 a trade visa-free regime to support Ukraine’s agricultural sector during Russia’s aggression. After that, a draft agreement with quotas on the export of certain goods, including mushrooms, processed dairy products, honey, sugar, wheat, and others, was developed.
In July 2025, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria voiced concerns about the new agreement between Ukraine and the EU and urged a review to protect European farmers’ interests from unrestricted imports. Earlier, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration stated that the agreement would come into force by the end of September 2025.
The current discussion once again underscores the balance between market openness and protection of EU farmers, and the upcoming ministers’ meeting could determine the future direction of negotiations on the DCFTA and its adaptation to the needs of the agricultural sector.
