Business news from Ukraine

Ukrainian parliament appeals to EU to start negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to European Union

The Verkhovna Rada has appealed to the European Union member states and EU institutions to support the opening of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. The relevant resolution No. 10315 was voted for by 292 MPs at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Saturday, said Oleksiy Honcharenko, a member of the European Solidarity faction.
“The Verkhovna Rada appeals to the national parliaments and governments of the European Union member states, the EU institutions and calls… to support Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union by adopting a decision to open negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union during the European Council meeting on December 15, 2023,” the text of the appeal reads.
The MPs also called on EU members to increase military assistance to Ukraine both at the national level and within the framework of the European Peace Fund.

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Ukrainian parliament legalizes production of GMO products

The Verkhovna Rada has passed in the second reading and as a whole the law “On state regulation of genetically engineered activities and state control over the placement of genetically modified organisms and products on the market”.

The corresponding bill №5839 was supported by 276 people’s deputies at the plenary session on Wednesday, a member of the faction “Golos” Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported in Telegram.

According to the explanatory note, the document defines the legal and organizational basis for the state regulation of genetically engineered activities, ensuring environmental, genetic, food and biological security of the state and state control over the placement of genetically modified organisms and products on the market.

It defines the terms “genetically modified organism”, “genetically modified products”, “GM products as a food product”, introduces state registration of GMOs, etc.

Before the law was adopted in the second reading, it was amended to prohibit the cultivation and import of GM corn, as well as the cultivation of genetically modified sugar beets and rapeseed for five years.

The document introduces a comprehensive regulation of the legal and organizational foundations of genetically engineered activities by means of state supervision (control) over the use of genetically modified organisms and the turnover of GM products.

The bill also delimits the powers of state authorities to avoid duplication of functions in the sphere of GMO handling; improves the system of GMO risk assessment with regard to possible impact on human health and the natural environment; introduces European mechanisms for state registration of GMOs; improves requirements for labeling of GM products and introduces rules for their traceability; strengthens state control in the sphere of GMO handling and establishes liability for violation of legislation in this sphere.

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Ukrainian parliament exempts some goods from VAT

The Verkhovna Rada has exempted from value added tax (VAT) a number of goods imported to Ukraine for security and defense needs.

A total of 294 people’s deputies voted for the relevant draft law No. 9467 on amendments to the transitional provisions of the Tax Code on the peculiarities of importing into the customs territory of Ukraine goods for security and defense needs at the plenary session on Friday, a member of the faction “Golos” Yaroslav Zheleznyak said in his Telegram channel.

The bill exempts from VAT thermal imaging binoculars, monoculars and binoculars, night vision devices and rangefinders that are imported into the customs territory of Ukraine.

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Ukrainian parliament improves procedure for preparing bills to adapt Ukrainian legislation to EU stantards

The Verkhovna Rada has improved the procedure for preparing bills on adapting Ukrainian legislation to the provisions of European Union law (EU acquis).
Draft resolution No. 7595 was supported by 297 MPs at the plenary session on Friday, parliamentarian Yaroslav Zhelezniak (the Holos parliamentary faction) said on his Telegram channel.
The resolution provides for the consideration of bills aimed at adapting the legislation of Ukraine to the provisions of the law of the European Union, the fulfillment of Ukraine’s international legal obligations in the field of European integration, the availability of tables of correspondence to them, as well as official translations of relevant acts of EU legislation and / or other sources of EU law.
According to the resolution, subcommittees will be created in the committees of the Verkhovna Rada to adapt the legislation of Ukraine to the provisions of EU law, the implementation of Ukraine’s international legal obligations in the field of European integration.
The resolution also provides for an additional examination of the compliance of European integration bills with Ukraine’s international legal obligations in the field of European integration and EU law in the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration and / or in the Cabinet of Ministers.

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UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT WANTS TO EQUALIZE WAGE CONDITIONS FOR CITIZENS OF UKRAINE AND FOREIGNERS

The Verkhovna Rada intends to equalize the terms of remuneration for citizens of Ukraine and foreigners.
The corresponding bill No. 5795 on amendments to the laws on the use of labor of foreigners and stateless persons in Ukraine was supported by 240 people’s deputies in the first reading at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Friday, the website of the parliament reports.
The bill proposes to amend the laws on employment and the legal status of foreigners and stateless persons.
The document provides for the improvement of the procedure for issuing (refusal to issue) or continuation (refusal to continue) the validity of a permit for the use of labor of foreigners and stateless persons.
As noted in the explanatory note to the document, the amendments to the laws will create equal conditions for remuneration for both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners and stateless persons who are legally in Ukraine.
The adoption of the draft law will provide legal grounds for the use of the labor of foreigners and stateless persons who study in educational institutions of Ukraine.
The document also provides for the free issuance of a duplicate work permit for foreigners and stateless persons in cases of loss or damage to a previously issued permit, the validity of which has not yet expired.

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UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT VOTED TO SUPPORT BOOK PUBLISHING AND BOOKSTORES

In Ukraine, from the beginning of 2023, newborns and 14-year-olds will be issued free certificates for Ukrainian publications in the amount of 0.3 subsistence minimum (lm) for able-bodied people (by the end of the year, this minimum will be increased from UAH 2,481 to 2684 UAH).
The relevant law “On Amendments to Certain Laws on Stimulating the Development of Ukrainian Book Publishing and Book Distribution” (No. 6287) was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on Sunday with 314 votes without discussion, according to information on its website.
In addition, the document provides for the payment of subsidies to specialized stores from April 1, 2023, in which 80% of revenue comes from book products.
After the adoption on January 25 in the first reading, when preparing the bill for the second, the amount of rental compensation was slightly increased: in Kyiv and international airports – from 0.3 to 0.35 linear meters, in territorial communities from 500 thousand – from 0.2 up to 0.25 l.m., from 100 to 500 thousand – from 0.16 to 0.2 l.m., from 30 to 100 thousand – from 0.08 to 0.12 l.m. and up to 30 thousand inhabitants – from 0.04 to 0.08 l.m.
At the same time, the rental area, the fee for which is subject to compensation, is limited from 50 m in small communities to 150 m in Kyiv.
The amount of the subsidy may also not be more than 20% of the income received from the sale of books in the relevant bookstore.
In the financial and economic justification section of the explanatory note for the first reading, it was noted that the amount of expenses from the state budget for providing subsidies to bookstores in 2023 will be from UAH 52 to 86 million.

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