Ukrainian govt proposes harmonizing agricultural support mechanisms with EU standards

The Cabinet of Ministers has registered bill No. 13202 in the Verkhovna Rada, introducing amendments to several Ukrainian laws concerning the organizational principles for providing support to the agricultural sector, government representative to parliament Taras Melnychuk reported via Telegram.

According to him, the purpose of the bill is to ensure the adaptation of Ukraine’s agricultural sector to EU standards within the broader context of European integration.

The document outlines the adaptation of the legal provisions of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of December 2, 2021. This regulation sets out rules for support for strategic plans prepared by EU member states under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), integrating them into national legislation.

The draft law proposes the establishment of a Payment Agency, including defining its legal status and functions, the procedure for appointing its head, oversight of the agency's activities, and introducing financial control and audit mechanisms to ensure transparency and effective use of funds.

The government also proposes introducing a Farmer Sustainability Data Network (FSDN), including a legal framework for its creation and operation, a system for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on the development of agricultural enterprises, and using this data to inform state agricultural policy and support programs.

Additionally, the bill provides for the implementation of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) in Ukraine to enable the management and oversight of payments under state agricultural policy and to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of financial resources through IACS.

The bill outlines mechanisms for planning and monitoring agricultural policy, including procedures for the development and implementation of strategic plans for the agricultural sector, the creation of a system to monitor policy effectiveness, the establishment of performance evaluation indicators, and ensuring the public availability of these results.