Ukraine has officially joined the international ePhyto system.

Ukraine has officially joined the international ePhyto system. The first electronic phytosanitary certificate has already been issued.

This was reported by the press service of the State Food and Consumer Service to Mind.

“From now on, Ukraine has the official status of a country that can exchange electronic phytosanitary certificates through the international ePhyto system with 124 countries worldwide, including the USA, Canada, EU countries, Oceania, and African nations. This is thanks to the efforts of the State Food and Consumer Service. This opens up new opportunities for Ukrainian producers, simplifies trade procedures, and makes the certification system more transparent and efficient,” stated the head of the State Food and Consumer Service, Serhiy Tkachuk.

It is emphasized that the implementation of ePhyto is an important step for Ukraine, as it will enhance the trust of international partners and the competitiveness of Ukrainian agricultural products, particularly grains, and facilitate their smooth circulation in the global market.

According to the State Food and Consumer Service, the use of ePhyto addresses a number of urgent issues, namely:

• prevention of phytosanitary certificate forgery;
• simplification of procedures in international trade;
• increased transparency during the exchange of certificates between countries;
• activation of the diversification of Ukrainian exports;
• prevention of unauthorized imports of plant-based products.

According to the announcement, the exchange of electronic phytosanitary certificates in Ukraine is carried out in the Phytosanitary Inspection System (PHIS) with the ePhyto solution, which has been developed and implemented with the support of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GIZ), the EU project EU4SaferFood, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

“We inform you that the issued quarantine certificates, phytosanitary certificates, and phytosanitary certificates for re-export will include a QR code, which can be used to verify the authenticity of the document,” the agency reported.

Reference.

ePhyto is an international system that allows for the exchange of phytosanitary certificates electronically through a specialized platform called ePhyto Hub. This platform was developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), which is part of the FAO.

Background. Previously, Mind reported that the Cabinet of Ministers decided to implement the ePhyto system and connect the national automated system PHIS (Phytosanitary Inspection System) to the global hub for exchanging electronic phytosanitary certificates. The corresponding resolution No. 1229 was adopted at a recent meeting.