Agri-Suppliers to Receive Protection Under EU Standards

December 15, 2025 Draft Law No. 6068-d was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding the implementation of EU Directive 2019/633 and the protection of agricultural suppliers from unfair trading practices.

The document is aimed at fundamentally changing the rules of the game between producers and buyers, such as retail chains and distributors. The key goal of the initiative is to eliminate financial pressure on farmers and establish European standards of transparency in relations between parties to supply contracts.

Payment Deadlines and Liability

  • Payments for perishable agricultural products and perishable food products must be made no later than 30 calendar days;
  • For other agricultural products and food products, the maximum payment period is set at 60 calendar days;
  • A clear definition of unfair trading practices in relations between parties is introduced, and legal liability is established for their occurrence.

Classification of Unfair Trading Practices

  • The Draft Law distinguishes between practices prohibited under any circumstances (unconditional prohibition) and practices permitted only on the condition of prior agreement in the contract;
  • Prohibited actions include unilateral changes to contract terms, short-notice cancellation of orders for perishable goods, and shifting the costs of product loss or damage onto the supplier;
  • Conditionally permitted practices, such as marketing services or listing fees, require detailed justification of costs and written agreement between the parties.

Supervision of compliance with the new requirements is assigned to the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, which is granted powers to conduct investigations and apply sanctions.

A mechanism for submitting complaints on a confidential basis is introduced to protect suppliers from potential pressure or “commercial retaliation.”

The scope of the Law’s provisions will be determined based on the annual turnover of the parties to the contract according to the scale established by the Draft Law.

We will closely monitor further developments in this area and will report on them in future Legal News.