Moldova and Ukraine Renewed Certificates on the Import of Poultry Meat and Animal Feed

The National Agency for Food Safety (ANSA) and the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection have provisionally signed new veterinary and sanitary certificates. The documents regulate the import of poultry meat, poultry products and animal feed. The agreement was reached on 13 May 2026 during a visit by an ANSA delegation led by Radu Mustiata to the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, reports rupor.md. The new certificate templates have been revised and brought into line with international standards and EU legislation. The parties have established a procedure for resuming imports, which will be based on veterinary and sanitary guarantees from the competent Ukrainian authorities. According to ANSA Director General Radu Mustiata, the update of the documents is a step towards harmonizing Moldovan requirements with the EU legal framework, which should facilitate bilateral trade whilst respecting food safety priorities. During the meeting, the parties also coordinated actions to prevent and combat infectious animal diseases. Particular attention was paid to monitoring African swine fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza and rabies in border areas. The Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Ukraine, Victor Chirila, took part in the talks. ANSA confirmed its intention to maintain safe trade relations that meet international standards and the requirements of external markets. Earlier, in January 2026, Moldova temporarily suspended imports of poultry meat and related products from Ukraine. This was prompted by the detection of the antibiotic metronidazole in Ukrainian feed. In Moldova itself, due to the presence of this substance in feed, poultry serum and eggs, more than 1.8 million eggs and over 350,000 head of poultry were destroyed. The situation triggered a trade dispute: the Ukrainian authorities deemed the ban unjustified and prepared retaliatory measures in the form of licensing imports of Moldovan wine products. Following a series of negotiations, in March 2026, the parties reached an agreement to resolve their differences. The condition for resuming supplies was the conduct of laboratory analyses in EU-accredited laboratories and the provision by Ukraine of guarantees regarding the control of the use of prohibited substances. By the end of March, the enterprises in Moldova affected by the incident had resumed operations, and one of them was granted the right to export to the European Union.