European Parliament has recognized equivalence of cereal seed produced in Ukraine. Growth of corn seed exports to the EU by international seed companies might be the most likely outcome. These might be followed by wheat and barley seed exports to the European market, according to USDA.

The European Parliament amended Council Decision 2003/17/EC to recognize the equivalence of cereal seed produced in Ukraine. The relevant Decision 2020/1544 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Seed Equivalence Decision) was published on October 21, 2020.

The Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture (MEDTA) was named as Ukraine’s officially certification authority. In accordance with Ukrainian seed laws: MEDTA executes the policymaking functions and is responsible for maintaining Ukraine’s official seed registry, while the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSFSCP) of Ukraine maintains the practical control over all stages of seed production and trade (including exports and imports), as well as managing data relevant to the seed registries in custody of MEDTA.

According to Deputy Minister Taras Kachka MEDTA (in Ukrainian), this decision should encourage global seed companies to produce seed in Ukraine with the purpose of subsequent export to the European Union. Ukraine sells seed in two major markets: the EU and in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia.