The EU Council agreed on May 13 to extend the suspension of export tariffs for Ukraine and Moldova for another year, the council's press service said.
The extension of the free-trade regime also included two new "safeguard mechanisms to protect the EU market."
The EU's trade liberalization policies toward Ukraine have caused tension in some member states and led to widespread protests in Poland, with smaller-scale demonstrations occurring in Romania and Hungary.
Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski said in January that he was "fundamentally opposed" to prolonging the EU's free trade regime with Ukraine, calling instead for a "gradual, mutual liberalization."
The two new measures, which may serve to mitigate some of Poland's opposition to the free-trade regime, will allow for "regular monitoring" and the imposition of quotas if the level of exports of key agricultural and food products exceeds that of the previous three years.
The extension of the measures "reaffirms the EU’s unwavering political and economic support for Ukraine," the press release read.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked the council for the decision and said it "brings Ukraine and Europe even closer together."
The extension will run from June 6, 2024, to June 5, 2025.
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