EU provides €12 million to support Ukraine’s agricultural reforms and alignment with EU standards

On March 19, the EU announced €12 million for agricultural and rural development, as well as food safety reforms in Ukraine, with the launch of the third phase of the EU4SmallFarms and EU4SaferFood projects. The new phase will strengthen rural development, support small-scale farmers, and help Ukraine align its legislation and practices in agriculture, food safety, animal health and welfare, and phytosanitary policy with EU standards. This support is part of a broader partnership between Ukraine and the EU, which is helping Ukraine prepare for membership in the EU and integration into its internal market. Both projects are being funded through the Ukraine Facility instrument.

“The European Union remains committed to supporting Ukraine on its path towards EU integration, including in the areas of agriculture and food safety. Through the third phase of the EU4SmallFarms and EU4SaferFood projects, the EU is providing more than €12 million to advance key reforms, support the alignment of Ukraine’s legislation with the EU acquis, and strengthen institutional capacity. This allocation will contribute to improving the quality and safety of agricultural products, fostering rural development, and creating new opportunities for Ukrainian producers to access the EU market.” – Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

“We are grateful to the European Union for the consistent support of reform in agriculture and food safety. Implementation of these projects will facilitate further approximation of Ukraine’s policy and practices with the EU standards, strengthening of state control system, and opening of new opportunities for the Ukrainian business operators” – Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.

The projects will run for 40 months and will be implemented closely with key Ukrainian institutions such as the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine, and the State Agency of Ukraine for the Development of Land Reclamation, Fisheries, and Food Programmes