Ukraine receives permission for EU poultry exports

The European Commission has formally allowed imports of Ukrainian poultry, eggs and other products to the European Union, opening a new market of 500 million people for Ukraine’s top agricultural holdings.

David Stulik, an EU spokesman in Ukraine stated that the EU had agreed to start export of poultry products, concluding a process that started several years ago. The EU started inspecting Ukrainian poultry producers in 2009 and the former Soviet republic started negotiations on a free trade agreement with the EU in 2008.

Anastasiya Sobotyuk, head of investor relations at Mironovskiy Hleboproduct (MHPC), a Ukrainian poultry producer and agriculture company reacted positively to the news. “As soon as Ukraine will be ready, we will be able to start shipping fast. We can start exporting poultry to the EU starting from the summer.”

It’s not clear, however, when all the formal procedures within the EU will be concluded and Ukraine’s companies will be able to start exporting to Europe. Several amendments still need to be made to EU health regulations, and then the new legislation will have to be translated into official EU languages.

In its own press statement, Ukraine’s Agricultural Ministry estimated that the bureaucratic procedures within the EU will take two or three months to complete after the vote was taken. Agricultural Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said that, in the meantime, all potential suppliers will be audited by health services.