Ukraine: legislation in seed production sphere
On electronic registries in the fields of seed production, nursery management, and the registration of rights to plant varieties
KYIV. May 30 (Interfax-Ukraine) – In Ukraine, work continues on the implementation of changes that came into effect a year ago concerning electronic registries in the fields of seed production, nursery management, and the registration of rights to plant varieties, said Suzanna Hryhorenko, Executive Director of the Seed Association of Ukraine, in an interview with APK-Inform.
According to her, the Ukrainian government plans to issue a decree "On Certain Procedures for Maintaining Registers in the Field of Seed Production and Nursery Management," which will ensure the introduction of the corresponding registers – entities in this field, conformity assessment bodies, and agronomist inspectors.
Additionally, work is underway to legalize the digital platform ePlantProduction, where the registers are to function, specifically the procedure for maintaining the application registry and the variety database.
The head of the association expressed hope that the introduction of registers for seed production entities, certification auditors, and certificates will renew the certification procedures for agronomist inspectors that were suspended less than a year ago.
Hryhorenko also mentioned that in 2024, the approval of by-laws on the GMO law, which was adopted in August 2023, may begin. This includes the establishment of a state commission for GMO assessment and a scientific-methodological center for GMO testing, approval of the procedure for state registration and re-registration, as well as the procedure for maintaining the State GMO Register. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, which will develop these documents, will also prepare a decree defining the boundaries of territories where GMO cultivation is prohibited.
"These documents essentially set new rules of the game in the field of plant protection and form a development strategy for the industry. Transparency and digitalization can remove many obstacles in the development of the agricultural sector and even give it new momentum," concluded the head of the association.