Harmonization of veterinary legislation with EU norms:
professional registration, CPD and digital registers - what it means for veterinary clinics and doctors.
The President of Ukraine has signed the Law of Ukraine aimed at harmonizing veterinary legislation with European Union law in the areas of veterinary medicine and animal welfare. The relevant information has been made public.
The law does not immediately change the licensing conditions for small animal clinics, but lays the legal and institutional foundation for structural changes that will directly affect veterinary facility owners and practitioners in the medium term.
1. Professional registration and self-regulation: what is really changing.
The current veterinary legislation of Ukraine already assumes that veterinary practice is carried out not only by an institution, but also by a specific specialist.
That is why:
- the law stipulates requirements for certification of veterinary doctors;
- it provides for mandatory advanced training with a certain frequency;
- it allows for registries of specialists and institutions to be maintained as a tool of state control.
The signed Law does not introduce immediate individual licensing of doctors, however:
- legally allows the transition to professional registration models;
- opens the way to elements of self-regulation of the profession, which is standard practice in EU countries;
- strengthens the personal role of the doctor as a responsible subject, and not just an "employee of a licensed clinic."
For clinics, this means a gradual transition from the "license for the facility" model to the "facility + registration and qualification of each doctor" model.
2. CPD (Continuing Professional Development) and Professional Responsibility.
It is important to emphasize: CPD is not a new requirement - the obligation for veterinary doctors to regularly improve their qualifications is already enshrined in current legislation. However, in the context of harmonization with EU norms, the weight of CPD is changing, namely:
- from formal course completion to documented, recorded CPD;
- from paper certificates to digital recording of education and advanced training;
- from episodic control to systematic verification during certification, audits or access to state registers.
Professional responsibility in this model increases not through "punitive mechanisms", but through:
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traceability of the doctor's actions;
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a clear link between the clinical decision, the documentation and the person who made it;
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the ability of the regulator to assess the quality of the processes, and not just the presence of a license.
3. Digitalization and state registers: a key vector of change.
The signed Law is logically consistent with the already implemented and announced digital tools, in particular:
- the state register of domestic animals;
- register of veterinary institutions and practicing doctors;
- electronic veterinary document management.
These tools shape a new reality for veterinary practice:
- the veterinarian becomes an identified participant in the digital system;
- documents, appointments and actions are recorded in an electronic environment;
- the importance of standardized internal clinic protocols increases;
- the space for informal or unstructured document flow decreases.
In fact, digital registers already work as a prototype of professional registration today, and in the future they may become the basis for admission to certain types of activities or services.
4. Position of the PO "Society of Veterinary Business Owners".
Public Organization "SVBO" supports Ukraine's European integration course in the field of veterinary medicine and animal welfare and at the same time emphasizes the following fundamental positions:
- any changes should be phased, predictable and economically justified;
- unacceptable sharp regulatory burden on small and medium-sized veterinary businesses;
- professional registration and CPD should work as quality tools, not as formal controls;
- the professional community should be involved in the development of by-laws.
The PO "SVBO" will monitor all subordinate regulations that will be adopted to implement the Law and will inform members of the organization with separate official clarifications.
Conclusion: The signed Law does not create immediate risks for small animal clinics, but clearly defines the vector of industry development: personification of the profession → CPD → digital traceability → European quality standards.
That is why preparing for these changes is already a matter of strategic veterinary business management, not just legal compliance.
PO "Society of Veterinary Business Owners"
Official Position
