Ukraine. Import of GMO rapeseed cannot be allowed this season

The initiative to allow the import of GM rapeseed to Ukraine with the subsequent re-export of products made from it is currently only at the discussion stage and requires amendments to the legislation. This was stated in a comment to Latifundist.com by the First Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policy, Taras Vysotsky.

As noted, there is currently no registered draft law on this issue. At the moment, this is just an idea that arose due to the shortage of oilseeds to load Ukrainian processing enterprises in certain periods, in particular in the second quarter of the year. It is proposed to allow the import of raw materials exclusively for processing and further re-export – without using the products on the domestic market.

“That is, the circulation of processed products on the domestic market is not envisaged, is not discussed. This does not affect the domestic market, there is no circulation, exclusively in the re-export mode, process and export,” says Vysotsky.

Currently, a variant of developing a temporary procedure is being considered, which will be valid for approximately one year – until September 2026. It is then that the new legislation on the circulation of GMOs, which has already been adopted by the Verkhovna Rada and adapted to European standards, should fully come into force in Ukraine.

“This idea is being discussed with the potential implementation of the next season. This season is impossible. This will be a temporary procedure, exclusively until the launch of a full-fledged law on GMOs, which should start in September 2026, and which has already been adopted by the Verkhovna Rada. It fully complies with European regulations. Therefore, we are not making any cuts or violations here,” said Vysotsky.

On April 18, People’s Deputy, Deputy Chairman of the Agrarian Committee Stepan Chernyavskyy, announced that rapeseed processors are asking the parliament to amend the current law on the regulation of GMOs and allow the import of GM rapeseed to Ukraine with the subsequent re-export of products made from it.

Tags: Ukraine, rapeseed, restrictions