Representatives of Ukraine got acquainted with Danish practices in seed certification and GMO control

As part of the Strategic Sectoral Cooperation (SSC) between Ukraine and the Kingdom of Denmark, a study visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Denmark took place. The purpose of the trip was to study European experience in the field of seed and planting material control, as well as to get acquainted with approaches to state control over the use of genetically modified organisms.

The delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, and the State Establishment ‘State Centre for Certification and Expertise of Agricultural Products’.

The participants learnt about the functioning of the seed certification system in Denmark, the procedure for registering plant varieties, conducting field inspections of seed crops of cereals and fodder crops, and organising laboratory analysis of seed quality. Special attention was paid to the state control over the circulation of seeds and planting material, as well as the system of monitoring and regulation of the use of GMOs in agriculture.

As part of the visit, the Ukrainian side presented its experience in organising field inspections, the specifics of the state supervision system in the seed and seedling industry, legislative aspects of GMO control, and mechanisms for official control of exports of planting material. The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection experts focused on the reforms taking place in Ukraine to harmonise legislation with European standards, in particular in the context of its commitments to the EU.

Following the visit, the parties discussed the prospects for further cooperation within the new phase of the SSC project. In particular, agreements were reached to develop a roadmap that will provide for the gradual adaptation of the Ukrainian seed and planting material certification system to EU standards.

The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection highly appreciates the constructive cooperation with Danish partners, which is an important step towards Ukraine's European integration, adaptation of national legislation to European requirements, and improvement of the efficiency of the state control system in the field of seed and planting materials.