Today, SUP members have had a meeting with Vladyslava Magaletska, newly appointed Head of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP).
“We hope that we will be able to develop an ongoing communication and meetings like this one will take place even routinely, whenever the need arises or whenever there are any particular issues to discuss.
“As our today’s first priority, the business would request you to approve and communicate the transparent requirements and rules that businesses have to comply with during inspections. This is essential to avoid misinterpretations of relevant regulations and prevent potential malpractices by inspectors”, emphasized Kateryna Glazkova, SUP Executive Director, at the beginning of the meeting.
SSUFSCP Head Vladyslava Magaletska announced the priority plans to create a special sub-unit that would help the Service work with associations and businesses. We are pleased to welcome this initiative as in fact that was SUP’s suggestion to set up such counselling centre for business at the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
“Our general practice is that when the Service receives a document, it is distributed according to the staffing table. Yet, there is no focal point for dealing with businesses, which would be really helpful. We will have to implement this decision with the use of ІТ systems because a technical solution would help a business visited by inspectors to quickly check if this inspection is authorized and what information must be disclosed, and even give a feedback on the completed inspection. This is the way for both sides to have shared perceptions”, explained Ms Magaletska.
At first, the service unit will operate as a call centre and as a special channel in messengers.
Apart from that, the meeting participants discussed the challenging situation that had developed in the animal feed market of Ukraine. In January 2020, the Law of Ukraine “On Animal Feed Safety and Hygiene” took effect, which has introduced a new registration system for feed additives. Now prepared animal feeds may be produced in Ukraine or imported to the country’s territory only with the use of additives that are already registered in the State Register of Feed Additives – the register that has not been yet created. In an attempt to solve this problem, the Ukrainian Parliament would need to pass the draft law No. 3672, and the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection is the authority to adopt the sub-regulatory framework for the law’s implementation.
“When the draft law No. 3672 reached the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Service, we approved it without any objections. Since there is some secondary legislation under this law that needs to be developed, I suggest that the legal teams you have in your associations work jointly on these regulations, and we will be able later on to use your developments for the implementation”, said the SSUFSCP Head.
Among other issues raised at the meeting, Kateryna Glazkova mentioned that the Service’s facilitation is needed to solve the problem with counterfeit products and forestall the government’s attempted over-regulation in the dairy industry.
SSUFSCP Deputy Head Olga Shevchenko noted that this issue is caused by the absence of the very concept of counterfeiting in national laws and by the resulting absence of any sanctions. This problem has already been addressed by a relevant working group, together with the business and the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, as a joint action towards finding a solution.
Vladyslava Magaletska also voiced the Service’s plans to combat counterfeiting by working closely with inspection agencies.
We thank the Head of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection for the meeting! SUP is ready for our productive cooperation towards improving the product quality control and consumer protection.
