Perishable food products will be transported under new rules

The Government has approved the Draft Law "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Road Transport" on Certain Issues of Transportation of Perishable Foodstuffs by Road Vehicles".

The draft law is aimed at implementing the provisions of the Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Equipment to be Used for such Carriage, concluded on 01.09.1970 in Geneva, to improve the conditions for maintaining the quality and safety of perishable foodstuffs during their transportation, as well as to ensure equal competitive conditions for international carriers of Ukraine in the territories of the contracting parties.

The Draft Law proposes to define the terms "isothermal vehicle", "isothermal vehicle certificate" and "perishable food products" and to establish mandatory requirements for obtaining isothermal vehicle certificates for vehicles transporting perishable food products.

It also provides for the establishment of requirements for organizations that acquire the right to carry out technical inspections for compliance with the requirements of the Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on Special Vehicles intended for such transportation, and the definition of the powers of the State Service of Ukraine for Transport Safety to inform the UN Economic Commission for Europe about the responsible authorities in Ukraine for issuing an isothermal vehicle certificate for the purpose of their recognition by the countries party to the Agreement.

It is proposed to establish a transitional period (one year after the end of martial law) for the mandatory implementation of the Agreement's requirements for domestic transportation of perishable food products.