The Council of the European Union approved the decision to recognize the Ukrainian certification system for beet, sunflower, rape and soybean seeds as meeting the requirements of EU legislation. About this informs press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
Amendments were made to Directive 2003/17/EC, which defines the list of countries whose certification systems are recognized as equivalent in the field of field inspections and seed production. This means that the seeds of the mentioned crops, certified in Ukraine, are officially recognized as suitable for export to the European Union, as they meet European quality standards.
Acknowledgment of equivalence means that Ukrainian certification procedures provide the same guarantees as European ones, in particular regarding seed characteristics, examination procedures, its identification and control. This opens up new prospects for Ukrainian manufacturers on the European market, and also creates opportunities for expanding the activities of European companies in Ukraine.
“This historic decision was the result of many years of work by Ukrainian authorities together with associations and experts in the agricultural industry. It was adopted and supported by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.” — stressed the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Vitaliy Koval.
The decision will enter into force 20 days after its official publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
As a reminder, in 2020, the EU recognized the equivalence of seed certification of grain crops from Ukraine (Decision No. 2020/1544 dated October 21, 2020), which allowed the export of wheat, rye, rice, corn, sorghum and other crops to EU countries.
