A step towards the EU: Government returns market surveillance of non-food products to improve public safety

The Cabinet of Ministers has resumed scheduled inspections of non-food products by market surveillance authorities, which had been temporarily suspended during the martial law period.

The Government also resumed state control of non-food products by customs authorities. The relevant resolution was approved at a Government meeting on December 27, 2024.

"Almost from the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a moratorium on inspections of non-food products was in place. This helped businesses adapt to the conditions of a full-scale war. Now we are returning state supervision in this area. This will help protect people from purchasing and using unsafe products, as well as create a level playing field for business and protect reputable manufacturers from competitors who produce cheap but inadequate products. At the same time, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the Business Ombudsman Council will monitor compliance with the current legislation and transparency of inspectors' work during market surveillance activities," said Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna.

According to her, this decision is also a requirement of the European partners. This is a necessary step within the framework of the European Commission's recommendations on preparing for the conclusion of the ACAA Agreement (industrial visa-free regime) and the Ukraine Facility program.

The return of state supervision will help improve the quality and safety of non-food products. It will also increase competition - more quality products will be available for sale. Gradually, this will bring the Ukrainian consumer market closer to the European internal market and facilitate the conclusion of the EU-Ukraine Industrial Visa Waiver Agreement.

To improve interaction with business, the Government has launched beta testing of thePulseonline platform.

The purpose of the platform is to create a single digital tool for transparent relations between the state and business to improve the quality of public services. Now every entrepreneur can rate the services provided by the state.