Starting in January 2028, Ukraine plans to implement the EU integration Law No. 4147, which предусматриває a complete restructuring of the crop protection products (CPP) market. Ukrainian Agribusiness Club advisor Vladyslav Sedyk has warned that the immediate adoption of European regulatory standards for crop protection products could significantly undermine the profitability of Ukraine’s agricultural sector, ProAgro Group reports.
Under the law, market participants will be classified as distributors, consultants, or professional users. All personnel involved in handling crop protection products — from managers to machine operators — will be required to undergo specialized training, obtain certification, and be entered into official registers. The legislation also introduces a “know your customer” principle, restricting sales of crop protection products to authorized users only.
Sedyk highlighted institutional unpreparedness as a major concern, particularly regarding mandatory technical inspections of equipment used for applying crop protection products. Currently, Ukraine has no authorized organizations capable of conducting such inspections. At the same time, he noted that Ukraine is already ahead of the EU in regulating the use of agricultural drones.
The most serious risks, according to the expert, stem from the potential simultaneous withdrawal of up to 100 active substances that are currently permitted in Ukraine but banned in the EU. Such a move could cost the agricultural sector at least $1.5 billion annually and lead to lower yields of key crops due to the lack of affordable and effective alternatives.
Another major challenge is the transition to EU MRL standards (Maximum Residue Levels), given the shortage of laboratories, analytical equipment, and validated testing methods. Without substantial investment and a lengthy transition period, these requirements are likely to remain largely declarative rather than practical.
“Surveys show a critically low level of farmer readiness: more than half of farms are not prepared to implement European standards, with small and medium-sized producers being the most vulnerable,” Sedyk concluded.
Earlier reports noted that Ukravit had presented a new catalogue of crop protection products and micronutrients for 2026.
Source: Ukrainian Agribusiness Club
