Ukraine must meet EU agricultural standards by 2028, says minister
Ukraine must fully align its agricultural standards with the European Union by the end of 2028, Ukraine's Deputy Economy Minister Tasas Vysostky said on Feb. 6, as the country continues its push for membership.
"The amount of work is truly significant, and the timeframe is tight, but there is no alternative to this path: either Ukraine systematically undergoes the adaptation process, or it loses opportunities to further expand access to the EU market," Vysotsky said in an interview with Ukrainian media outlet RBK.
Matching EU standards is a key precondition for joining the bloc, which Kyiv has repeatedly stated it hopes to achieve by 2027. But Ukraine's large and productive agricultural sector is widely seen as a potential obstacle to the country's future membership.
When the EU suspended all tariffs on Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, a sudden influx of Ukrainian agricultural products caused farmers' protests — even though a large share of those products were destined for other markets.
Additionally, Ukraine could be in line for billions of euros from the EU's centralized agricultural policy, causing disquiet in other European countries with large agricultural sectors.
Several tariffs were reintroduced in October 2025, when Ukraine and the EU reached a revised trading agreement. As part of that agreement, Ukraine agreed to continue to work towards European standards.
Vystotcky said that animal welfare standards will be a key focus of Ukraine in 2026. He said that the most difficult part would be to align with Europe's pesticide rules, which can take several years to implement due to the long-term nature of Ukraine's crop cycles.
According to the Economy Ministry, Ukraine will push for a transition period of at least 10 years for these norms.
