The European Commission recommends that Ukraine restore product safety controls

The section on food safety received a “moderate level of preparation” rating.

Ukraine needs to systematically restore food safety, animal and plant health inspections, which were restricted during martial law. This is stated in the European Commission’s report on Ukraine’s progress in European integration, published on November 4 as part of the Enlargement Package.

“Ukraine should systematically restore risk-based controls,” the document states.

The restrictions on inspections due to the war make it difficult to implement legislation in these areas. Ukraine has also pledged to restore full-fledged controls within the framework of the renewed free trade area with the EU.

Among other obstacles, the European Commission cites limited laboratory capabilities, a lack of qualified employees, and problems in the operation of state registers. The document also notes high corruption risks: “Ukraine should also step up efforts to reduce corruption risks in the sector.”

In veterinary medicine, it is necessary to bring the legislation closer to EU rules, establish the operation of registers and IT systems, and strengthen animal vaccination, in particular against rabies.

Ukraine has already adopted animal welfare rules, but in practice their implementation is at an early stage. For them to work, it is necessary to establish training for specialists, create registers, and define clear inspection procedures.

At the same time, the European Commission notes progress in digitalization – the development of electronic tools for tracing the origin of products, issuing certificates, and state control. Among the positive developments, the report names the update of the Law on Veterinary Medicine and the expansion of the use of the European TRACES system. Overall, Chapter 12 on food safety was rated “moderately prepared.”

The broader picture for Ukraine is positive. Together with Moldova, Montenegro, and Albania, it is among the four candidate countries with the greatest progress. The state of preparation has improved in nine chapters, which is twice as much as last year, and good or very good progress has been noted in ten, in particular in agriculture and customs. The European Commission did not record any deterioration in assessments or rollback of reforms in any direction.

The next goal is the interim benchmark assessment (IBAR) in early 2027. For this, Ukraine and the EU have created a joint working group.

Also, earlier USM reported that Ukraine wants to transfer customs control of trucks deep into the EU due to drone attacks.