Ukraine To Endorse New Customs Code In Compliance With EU Standards In 2026

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The draft new Customs Code of Ukraine based on EU regulations will be finished by the end of April 2025, and its final approval by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has been scheduled for January 2026.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Finance Deputy Minister Yuriy Draganchuk at a meeting of the Steering Committee on the development of the new Customs Code of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to the ministry's press service .

The progress made by September 1, 2025 will be included in the 2025 report and will influence the current assessment of Ukraine's readiness to join the EU.

As emphasized by Ukrainian State Customs Service Deputy Head Vladyslav Suvorov, the Customs Code lays the basis for the customs union and, without appropriate customs legislation, Ukraine's EU membership is impossible. In his words, the development of the new Customs Code is now a priority for the State Customs Service, and its first version is expected to be finished by early May 2025.

According to Director of the Customs Policy Department at the Ukrainian Finance Ministry Oleksandr Moskalenko, the preparation of the text will be completed in April. Its translation will start in May. In June, the text will be submitted for evaluation by DG TAXUD experts. The draft bill will reach Parliament not later than August 31, 2025. In October, it is expected to be considered in the first reading, and will be passed as a law in January 2026. Upon the adoption of the new Customs Code, Ukraine will be awaiting the assessment of the European Union while also developing the necessary bylaws.

“Our goal is to have Ukraine's customs legislation fully compliant with EU regulations in 2027. We are ready for such an ambitious approach,” Moskalenko stressed.

The above timeline was approved by the Steering Committee on the development of the new Customs Code of Ukraine based on the EU's Customs Code.

Among other things, Tomasz Michalek, a representative of DG TAXUD, confirmed readiness to provide the Ukrainian side with technical advice and expertise on the documents developed.

A reminder that the drafting process started in March 2024 and is aimed at meeting the requirements for Ukraine as a candidate country for EU membership. For this purpose, 15 working groups had been formed, including the representatives of the Ukrainian Finance Ministry, the State Customs Service, experts from the EU Public Finance Management Support Programme for Ukraine (EU4PFM), and the Reform Support Team under the Ukrainian Finance Ministry.

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