Ukrainian producers of agricultural products cannot access the new generation of plant protection products designed for more effective control of pests and diseases, which reduces their competitive edge.

The Association “Ukrainian Agribusiness Club” addressed an open letter to Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Klympush-Tsintsadze Ivanna and the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on issues of European integration, requesting support for Draft Law “On Amendments to Article 4 of the Law of Ukraine “On Pesticides and Agrochemicals” No.6606 of 21 June 2017, concerning import into the customs territory of Ukraine.

The letter refers to the current situation in Ukraine with the problem of the actual impossibility for state registration of plant protection products for producers of original innovative plant protection products due to the requirement to confirm the registration of the agrichemical in the country of production. “Innovative experimental agrichemicals may not have the registration in the country where they are produced. After all, they can simultaneously be in the process of state testing in the producer country and in Ukraine, as well as in other countries with a high level of agriculture development, including Ukraine, in order to check the effectiveness of such agrichemicals in different conditions. Similarly, state registration of an innovative agrichemical in the country of production may not be appropriate in connection with the possible absence of certain types of harmful organisms in the country of production”, - the statement of the Association says.

The UCAB refers to a letter from European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), stating that the norms for verifying the state registration in the country of production for samples of unregistered plant protection products which are subject to the state testing, do not exist either in the US legislation or the EU legislation. At the same time, the import of samples of unregistered plant protection products for the purposes of state testing and scientific research, as well as in Ukraine, is regulated by means of an import permit.

The adoption of the bill number 6606 may eliminate the problem in 2017. This will facilitate the unblocking of scientific research and state testing of innovative plant protection products that remain blocked for the second consecutive season and will give to agricultural products producers the access to high-quality innovative plant protection products, which in turn will lead to the production of safer, high-quality and competitive agricultural products.