Ukraine has yet to achieve recognition of seed certification system equivalent to EU requirements in order to export seed of its own production to the EU countries and to get full access to the international markets. Thus, in 2011, Ukraine requested the European Commission representatives to perform audit. This inspection, which covered cereal crops: oats, barley, rice, rye, wheat, triticale, as well as corn and sorghum, was conducted by the EU Commission's Directorate General DG Sante in the period from 26th of May to 4th of June, 2015. The final report was published on 16th o September, 2015. To date, the last review of the Ukrainian question within the European institutions took place on February 21, 2017.
In order to facilitate the review of this issue and to obtain the long-awaited approval of seed certification equivalence the Seed Association of Ukraine got its partner the European Seed Association, ESA, involved in the process. This organization fully and completely supports Ukraine in its efforts to gain recognition of equivalence of its seed certification system to EU requirements. Particularly, in January, 2017, the European Seed Association, ESA, upon the request of the Association, sent a letter to the DG Sante and the European Commission officials. On the 19th of April, at the next working meeting of the European Seed Association an update concerning the review of the process of the recognition of equivalence of the Ukrainian seed certification system to EU requirements will be given.
