Russia proposes three key amendments to the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, reports Vedomosti citing a Russian government official.
First, it is offered to reexamine the parameters and periods of time given to lower taxes on EU goods in Ukraine. According to Vedomosti’s informant, they should be lowered gradually, Russia is concerned with the taxes on goods that constitute $4 billion out of $16 billion of the entire goods circulation volume.
Second, technical regulation has to be change, as technical rules of the EU are “much stricter.” Russia thinks that this will result in Russian goods being unable to access the Ukrainian market. It should be noted that the EU has stated numerous times that this fear is mostly fueled by myth.
Third, according to the Russian Federation, unification or mutual acknowledgment of phytosanitary norms are necessary: Russia has three forms of certification, the EU has one.
“An interim period” might be needed to sold the second and third issues, thinks the federal official.
Essentially, the execution of Russia’s proposals will mean not only a full reexamination of the Association Agreement in the free trade section, but also the reexamination of the EU’s rules on internal trade.
According to EuroPravda, the European Union denies the possibility of the trilateral Ukraine-Russia-EU consultations touching on the reexamination of the Association Agreement or any of its component.
Ukraine also rejected any amendments to the Agreement.
Source: EuroIntegration
Translated by Mariya Shcherbinina
