The Council of the European Union today officially adopted a regulation on temporary autonomous trade measures (ATMs) for Armenia, under which EU import duties on Armenian products will be eliminated for a period of two years.

With this decision, the European Union is suspending customs duties on a range of goods imported from Armenia, including certain agricultural products subject to tariff quotas.

The EU Council noted that the measure aims to support Armenia's economy by mitigating the impact of trade restrictions imposed by Russia.

"The [European] market will be open, in particular, to 99 percent of Armenian fresh agricultural produce that was previously exported to Russia. A door will also be opened for more than 90 percent of Armenian beverages and alcoholic drinks," Ursula von der Leyen said during her visit to Armenia in July. Official Moscow had previously restricted the import of several goods from Armenia, prompting the European Commission to put forward this initiative.

In her remarks, Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, noted the EU is thus demonstrating greater support for the people of Armenia, who have chosen a pro-European path.

"Today's decision will help Armenia's economy, which has been affected by trade restrictions, and demonstrates that our partners can always rely on the EU," she said.

According to the EU Council, these temporary trade measures align with the objectives of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Armenia and the European Union.

It is important to note that the removal of customs duties does not imply the waiver of quality standards. Armenian exporters will be required to submit documentation regarding the origin of goods exported to the EU and to comply with strict phytosanitary regulations (laboratory standards, product certification, etc.).

It appears that only companies in Armenia capable of ensuring and monitoring appropriate quality standards will be able to export agricultural products to the EU. Some of these companies have upgraded their production processes through various EU programs and aligned them with European Union requirements.

Photo: Ursula von der Leyen (European Commission President), Nikol Pashinyan, António Costa (European Council President) taken at EU-Armenia Summit in Brussels on May 4-5, 2026. (Armenpress).