Ukraine has officially joined the international ePhyto system. The first electronic phytosanitary certificate has already been issued.
According to Serhiy Tkachuk, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection:
"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 countries. This is thanks to the work of the State Service. This opens new opportunities for Ukrainian producers, simplifies trade procedures, and makes the certification system more transparent and efficient."
The implementation of ePhyto is an important step for Ukraine, enhancing the trust of international partners and the competitiveness of Ukrainian agricultural products, including grains, and facilitating their seamless circulation on the global market.
The use of ePhyto addresses several urgent issues, such as:
- Preventing the counterfeiting of phytosanitary certificates.
- Simplifying procedures in international trade.
- Increasing transparency in certificate exchanges between countries.
- Promoting the diversification of Ukrainian exports.
- Preventing unauthorized imports of plant-based products.
In Ukraine, the exchange of electronic phytosanitary certificates is carried out through the Phytosanitary Inspection System (PHIS) with the ePhyto solution, which was developed and implemented with the support of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GIZ), the EU4SaferFood project, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
It is important to note that quarantine certificates, phytosanitary certificates, and phytosanitary certificates for re-export will have a QR code, allowing the authenticity of the document to be verified.
ePhyto is an international system that allows for the exchange of phytosanitary certificates in electronic form via a dedicated platform, ePhyto Hub. This platform was developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), which is part of the FAO.
Ukraine has become the 124th country in the world to implement ePhyto, joining a group of developed nations that actively support the digitalization of trade at the international level.
