On November 8, 2024, the UBA Committee on International Trade Law held an online meeting on the topic «The EU Association Agreement: Preferences and Trade Liberalization». The event brought together experts, lawyers, customs officials, and business representatives to discuss key issues regarding the future economic cooperation between Ukraine and the EU.

The event was moderated by Olesya Kryvetska, Chair of the UBA Committee on International Trade Law, Ph.D. in Law, and a dispute resolution lawyer.

Participants discussed the main aspects of trade liberalization, including issues related to customs tariffs, quotas, and alternative rules of origin for goods set to be implemented in 2025. Special attention was given to provisions of the Regional Convention on Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Preferential Rules of Origin (PEM Convention), aimed at simplifying trade rules and creating new opportunities for Ukrainian exporters.

Among the speakers were Iryna Pavlenko, member of the UBA Committee on International Trade Law Council and partner at First Chair Legal, and Volodymyr Storozhuk, head of the Customs Tariff Regulation Division at the Department of Customs Payments Control and Administration. They shared practical examples of applying the new rules and outlined prospects for Ukrainian businesses entering the European market.