By KYIV. Dec 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy proposes to the Parliament to demonopolize the veterinary services market, allow small businesses to produce food products of animal origin without obtaining an operating permit, simplify the registration of veterinary feeds and allow the import of feed additives allowed in the EU without their additional registration in Ukraine.
Relevant draft law No. 8150 on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on improving the requirements of legislation on food, feed, veterinary medicine and animal welfare was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, according to the website of the profile committee on Tuesday.
The document was developed by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and an expert working group, which included representatives of state bodies (the State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the Ministry of Health) and specialized associations (the Food Processors League, the European Business Association, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, etc.).
According to the Committee, the main goal of the bill is to ensure effective state control in the field of food safety and quality and protect consumer rights.
The Committee also noted that some of the provisions proposed in the bill caused a negative reaction from the animal protection community: animal advocates argue that the exclusion of the rules regarding the prohibition of cruelty to animals will lead to a weakening of legislation in this area.
In response, the Committee emphasized that the rules on cruelty to animals are not excluded, since they are already contained in basic law No. 1206 on veterinary medicine adopted in 2021, which determines the rules for the treatment of farm animals and the conditions for their slaughter. Also, the relevant area is regulated by orders of the Ministry of Economy No. 224 of February 8, 2021 and order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy No. 628 of August 29, 2022.
It emphasized that draft law No. 8150 is not about weakening the rules for the treatment of animals, but about eliminating duplication of authority and legislative conflicts. However, given the sensitivity of the topic and the civil society’s prejudice against certain provisions of the draft law, it is advisable to reconsider the norms that cause them.
"Our goal is to support farmers, producers, Ukrainian consumers and ensure the food security of the country and the world. Humanity, which is a basic European principle, cannot be questioned," the Committee stated in the message.
