32 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM WHY IT MATTERS In order for non-EU countries to export seeds to the EU, it is necessary that the respective requirements and their application in the non-EU country are recognised as equivalent. In 2011, the Ukraine requested for recognition of equivalence of its seed certification system. Seven years later, this issue is still not resolved, and it is not possible to import cereal seeds from Ukraine into the EU. Several stakeholders such as the European Seed Association (ESA), and the professional association of farmers and farmers’ co-operatives (COPA-COGECA) have been arguing in favour of Ukrainian equivalence. How Equivalent is the Ukraine? I n 2011, the Ukraine requested for recognition of equivalence of its seed certification system. Seven years later, this issue is still not resolved and has become one of key issues for the EU seed business community attempting to increase seed trade with the Ukraine. In its roadmap of 14 April 2016, the European Commission stated that this request has been assessed on the basis of whether Ukraine offers the same assurances for the identity, health and quality of seed as the EU. The Commission car- ried out a legislative analysis and the Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) conducted an inspection in Ukraine to audit its seed certification system in place. Both the legislative analysis and the inspection resulted in positive outcomes. In order to arrive at equivalency, it will be nec- essary to include Ukraine to the List of the non-EU countries, who received the equivalence status for seed certification systems. This List is approved in Annex 1 of EU Council Decision No 2003/17EC of 16.12.2002, followed by the EU Commission sub- mitting this issue to the EU Parliament and the Council of EU for their review. ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF EQUIVALENCE: 1. The matter is only about partially “simplify- ing” the formalities of non-tariff barriers regarding seed produced in the Ukraine, namely, the recog- nition of the seed certificates; 2. The EU will still be entitled to use other forms of non-tariff barriers e.g. customs formalities; quantitative restrictions; safety requirements, etc.; 3. There is support by the EU seed business community (ESA, the voice of the EU seed industry); 4. Ukraine houses several major European integrated seed companies that export seeds to Europe and other countries such as Maisadour Semences Ukraine, Llc, KWS-Ukraine, Euralis Semences Ukraine and many more. 5. Only seeds of the varieties registered in EU countries can be exported, which means that the Ukrainian producers will have to file the plant variety for registration in an EU country before exporting. 6. The Russian market has been lost. 7.  The choice is still up to the European consumers. 8. For the Ukraine, a key aspect is the pros- pect of the transfer of production facilities of the world’s producers and also an improvement of pro- duction quality indicators. 9. Seed import “critically” exceeds its export: UKRAINIAN SEED MARKET - EXPORT The main buyers of the Ukrainian seeds are Belarus (35%), and EU (31%), as well as Serbia (5%), Egypt (4%), Georgia (4%). According to the data of the analytical agency APK-Inform, that studies Ukrainian agrarian markets, the key crops of seed export from Ukraine are: cereals (wheat, barley, corn), soybean, rape and sunflower. In 2017, the Ukraine exported: •  Wheat: 2451 tons at 790.898 USD (of them to EU - 83,0 tons, 22.576 USD) •  Barley: 36,6 tons, 20.574,7 USD (to EU – no data) •  Soybean: 84,0 tons, 88.079 USD (to EU - 0,0 tons, 36,1 USD) •  Sunflower: 609 tons, 2.713.681 USD (to EU - 105 tons, 1.108.695 USD) •  Corn: 7.725 tons, 14.600.961 USD (to EU - 235 tons, 1.367.465 USD) •  Rapeseed: 0,0 tons, 760,7 USD (to EU - 0,0 tons, 760,7 USD) Seed trade to the EU went mainly to the fol- lowing EU member-states: Romania, Hungary, Germany, Austria and Poland. IMPORT IN 2016: 42.6 thousand tons of seeds SEED EXPORT IN 2016: 1.6 thousand tons of seeds SEED IMPORT IN 2015: 42.7 thousand tons of seeds SEED EXPORT IN 2015: >1 thousand tons of seeds Siuzana Hryhorenko - Executive Director of Seed Association of Ukraine SEED CERTIFICATION AT THE BORDERS OF EUROPE. BY: SIUZANA HRYHORENKO