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President of Ukraine Signs Law on Harmonisation of Veterinary Legislation with EU Law
On 20 January 2026, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law of Ukraine No. 4718-IX of 16 December 2025 “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Aimed at Aligning Regulation in the Field of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare with Acts of European Union Law”.
The Law was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine following a submission by the Parliamentary Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy.
A Key Step Towards European Integration
The adopted Law represents an important milestone in Ukraine’s European integration process and establishes the legal framework for the comprehensive implementation of EU-aligned approaches in the following areas:
- animal health;
- animal welfare;
- circulation of veterinary medicinal products.
Key Systemic Changes
The Law introduces a number of fundamental reforms, including:
- Improved financing mechanisms for veterinary and sanitary measures aimed at disease prevention and safeguarding animal health.
- Strengthened state veterinary and sanitary control (supervision) over the production, registration, circulation, and use of veterinary medicinal products.
- Alignment of licensing procedures for veterinary practice, as well as for the manufacturing, wholesale, and retail distribution of veterinary medicines, with general licensing legislation.
- Introduction of European animal welfare standards, covering conditions for keeping, transport, and slaughter of farm animals.
Alignment with EU Rules
The Law establishes rules harmonised with those of EU Member States in relation to:
- veterinary medicinal products, including digital registration and pharmacovigilance;
- feed and feed additives;
- animal welfare, through modern standards for the keeping of farm animals;
- animal health and prevention of disease spread, contributing to a more robust epizootic situation in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Veterinary Alliance welcomes the signing of this Law as a crucial step towards transparent, predictable, and EU-aligned rules for the veterinary sector and will continue to inform stakeholders about further steps related to the implementation of the new legislation.
