Ukraine races to align farm subsidies with eu standards by 2026

As Ukraine hurtles towards EU membership, its agricultural sector is under intense pressure to conform to Brussels' rules on farm subsidies. Kiev has set a bold target of having 80% of state support delivered through a digital system by the end of 2026, Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotsky revealed in an interview.

Integrated administration and control system (iacs) to drive compliance

Vysotsky emphasized that the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) will be the key to ensuring Ukraine's infrastructure is compatible with European norms on control, auditing, and reporting. The IACS system will integrate the land component through the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), animal registries, geomonitoring, and mechanisms for verifying compliance with support conditions and controlling payments.

In 2026-2027, the focus will shift from declaring key performance indicators (KPIs) to fully synchronizing them with EU requirements. This step will pave the way for mutual recognition of control systems and facilitate the integration of Ukrainian producers into the EU single market.

Ukraine's agricultural sector must adapt to EU standards until 2028, a process that involves implementing legislation on plant protection products, food safety, and animal welfare, as well as launching control and certification systems to bring producers in line with European market requirements.

Adopting the IACS is a technical prerequisite for Ukraine's integration into the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and for transparent distribution of subsidies. The digital system combines electronic registries of farmers and livestock with a geographic information system (LPIS), enabling precise verification of land areas and targeted use of funds through satellite data.