BRUSSELS (CHATNEWSTV) — The European Union on Wednesday granted Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova market access for specific seed exports after determining the countries meet EU standards for field inspections and seed production.
“The Council today adopted a decision confirming equivalence with EU requirements for seed from Ukraine and Moldova,” the EU Council said in a statement issued at 10:38 CET. “This means that certain seeds certified by their national authorities can now be imported into the EU.”
Under the decision, Ukraine is granted equivalence for beet, sunflower, swede rape and soya bean seeds. Moldova gains similar approval for seed of fodder plants. Both countries’ certification processes were deemed to offer the same guarantees as those applied within the EU.
“This equivalence confirms that the national procedures of the two countries provide the same level of assurance for seed characteristics and quality,” the Council added, referencing EU rules on examination, identification and control.
The move amends Decision 2003/17/EC, which previously allowed only a select group of non-EU countries to export certain seed species to the Union. The new regulation will take effect 20 days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal.
EU officials say the decision will help European seed companies diversify their production base and secure a steady supply of high-quality seed amid growing market demands.
The Republic of Moldova has been on the EU’s equivalence list since 2018 for cereal, vegetable, and oil and fibre plant seeds. It applied in 2022 to add fodder plant seed to the list.
Ukraine joined the list in 2020 for cereal seeds. Its expanded requests in 2022 and 2023 covered beet, sunflower, swede rape and soya bean seed.
Both countries’ seed testing labs are accredited by the International Seed Testing Association, a prerequisite that EU officials say enhances trust in the quality and compliance of their certification systems.
