Marine Le Pen blocks European trade preferences for Ukraine

European MPs led by the leader of the French National Front Marine Le Pen blocked the procedure of accelerated approval to extend the autonomous regime of  preferences in trade between the EU and Ukraine.

Le Pen and three other members of the European Parliament Committee on Trade formed the blocking minority and voted against the accelerated legislative procedure."

According to the Nezavisimaya Gazeta, it was planned that the European Parliament would vote on the issue at the plenary session of October 20-23 in Strasbourg. Extending the term of the trade preferences allows the EU to unilaterally cut or abolish customs duties on Ukrainian goods. Under current arrangements, the EU provided autonomous trade preferences to Ukrainian goods from April 23 to November 1 of this year.