OREANDA-NEWS. Through 12-13 April, Kyiv became the venue for the first inauguration meeting of the Ukraine – EU Association Committee which deals with trade issues. With this step the Committee has put in effect the institutional mechanism of a free trade area between the two parties.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine/ Trade Representative of Ukraine Natalia Mykolska, as co-chair of the Committee, represented Ukraine, while the EU was represented by Director General of the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission Ewa Synowiec.

During the discussion the parties considered primary results of functioning of the free trade area with the EU. According to the recent data of the customs, over first three months there was demonstrated an increase in exports to the EU, primarily food products and beverages (+ 31%) and consumer goods (+ 17%).

Ukrainian exporters have exhibited growing interest in the market of the EU member countries. Imports from the EU rose in the following commodity items: food products and beverages (+ 6%), manufactured goods (+ 4%), capital equipment (except transport), parts and hardware (+36%), vehicles and spare parts (+ 76%), consumer goods (+11%).

The establishment and functioning of the Trade Committee was envisaged by the provisions of the Association Agreement (Article 465 (4)). The powers of the Committee include addressing the issues of bilateral trade between the Parties, as well as issues of implementation and functioning of the free trade area with the EU.

The General structure of the Trade Committee also provides for the operation of four special subcommittees, inter alia: on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, customs issues and trade facilitation, indication of origin of goods, trade and sustainable development.