The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted amendments to legislation that simplify the registration and operation of the winemaking business. The relevant draft law (No. 9030) was supported by the people’s deputies of Ukraine in the second reading and in general at a session on August 9.
Simplifying business registration for winemakers was recommended by the Interagency Working Group on Deregulation, co-chaired by the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko. In particular, small producers of wine and wine products complained about difficulties in obtaining alcohol production licenses and the large number of reports that must be submitted monthly.
The need for small wineries to obtain a license for the production of alcohol is canceled. Instead, the Register of Small Wine Producers will be created, the requirements for the material and technical base of small wineries will be reduced. Instead of monthly reporting, producers will submit annual reports. The bottling of wine and wine beverages in metal cans and kegs (as is customary in Europe and the United States) will be allowed.
The Verkhovna Rada also supported the draft law “On Grapes and Viticulture Products” (No. 9139) as a basis. After the law is adopted and comes into force, the relevant legislation will be brought into line with EU standards. In particular, the following will apply:
– Terms and definitions, classification of grape varieties and requirements for the production of viticulture and winemaking products will be unified
– A mechanism for the protection of geographical indications in Ukraine will be defined;
– The creation of a single state Viticulture and Winemaking Register was approved;
– The possibility of state support for viticulture and winemaking is provided;
– The principles of conducting inspections of winemaking production were established, controlling institutions and their powers were recognized, and sanctions for violations of the law were specified.
Over the 6 months of the deregulation reform, the Government has reviewed more than 800 business regulatory instruments. The IWG, established in January, includes representatives of the Ministries of Economy, Digital Transformation, Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Justice, Finance and the Regulatory Service. Experts from the BRDO, Center for Economic Recovery, Center for Economic Strategy, EasyBusiness, USAID Competitive Economy Program, USAID/UKAID Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services Project (TAPAS) are involved in the work of the IWG.
The IWG makes recommendations on simplification or abolition of licenses and permits, in particular, at the request of entrepreneurs. (Government portal/Business World Magazine)
