A new cooperation agreement on agriculture, fishing, and food was signed by Rural Affairs Minister Peter Kullgren (KD) and his Ukrainian counterpart Vitalij Koval in Brussels on Monday.
The idea is that both authorities and companies should be able to learn more from each other.
Sweden also needs to prepare its food production for the worst-case scenario: that is, war. And then we have a lot to learn from a country that has actually managed quite well to produce food even in extreme situations, says Kullgren.
Important Sector
In return, Sweden will, for example, be able to teach the Ukrainians how to manage their agricultural bureaucracy – quite important if the country is to succeed in negotiations on EU membership.
The agricultural sector is one of Ukraine's most important and has been supported by the EU with the help of temporarily removed trade barriers since Russia's renewed attack three years ago.
However, discontent has been great in several EU countries, which consider the competition from Ukraine to be unfair, resulting in tariffs and quotas being reintroduced.
”Trump Methods”
The Ukrainians are anything but satisfied.
– A brutal crash landing for our export. Trump methods stuffed into a soft EU glove, says a Ukrainian agricultural source to the news site Euractiv.
Sweden would have preferred continued trade freedom and does not like the transitional rules that will come into effect from June 6 either. Kullgren hopes that the EU Commission will do better with the updated trade agreement promised.
– Sweden has been anything but satisfied with how this landed. Now it's up to the Commission to get moving and make a good deal with Ukraine, also from a Ukrainian perspective, says the Rural Affairs Minister.
