MPs postpone fines for gas stations due to bioethanol: when will they have to pay them
18 June 17:33
The Verkhovna Rada has postponed until January 1, 2026, the entry into force of the law that provided for fines for gas station chains for not adding 5% bioethanol to fuel. This was announced on June 18 by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak on his Telegram channel, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The parliamentarian said that the corresponding amendment was made to the draft law No. 13134, which his colleagues adopted today as a whole.
The text of the amendment reads as follows:
Liability for offenses defined in parts one and two of Article 14 of this Law committed in the period from the date of entry into force of Law 4467-IX until January 1, 2026 shall not apply.
What is the draft law about?
The document to which the parliamentarians have made amendments is the Draft Law on Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on Expanding Patient Access to Medicines Subject to Procurement by a Person Authorized to Carry Out Procurement in the Healthcare Sector by Concluding Managed Access Agreements.
In the explanatory note, its initiators note that Ukrainians have a constitutional right to quality medical care. However, in practice, not everyone can afford expensive medicines, especially for serious illnesses. To change the situation, the government has introduced a mechanism for procuring innovative medicines under special conditions – the so-called managed access agreements (MAAs).
This mechanism works as follows: The state enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine negotiates directly with drug manufacturers (including those from abroad) for significant discounts. As a result, seriously ill Ukrainians receive the necessary treatment free of charge, and the state saves budget funds.
In 2022, thanks to this approach, the state procured the drug Evrisdi for children with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare but very serious disease. Contracts were also signed with other manufacturers. The total savings amounted to about UAH 100 million.
Now the government wants to take another step – to allow procurement under the DCD scheme not only from the state budget, but also from local budgets and medical institutions. This will allow us to procure more medicines and cover more patients.
However, this requires amending the Tax Code so that in all cases (regardless of the source of funding) the donation of medicines is not taxed. This is exactly what the proposed draft law provides for.
As a result, patients will be able to receive more medicines free of charge, the state will save money, and the system will become clearer and more efficient. The draft law is also in line with IMF conditions and supports Ukraine’s course towards EU membership.
Read also: Bioethanol in gasoline: benefits, risks and price impact
Use of liquid biofuels in the Ukrainian transportation sector: what you need to know
Ukrainian parliamentarians have passed a law requiring the addition of biofuels to regular gasoline. This applies to the entire transportation industry. The document aims to reduce dependence on petroleum products, improve the environment and support domestic biofuel producers.
According to the new law, in the near future it will become mandatory to use gasoline containing at least 5% of liquid biofuels or biocomponents in Ukraine. This includes bioethanol, an alcohol made from agricultural raw materials such as corn or sugar beet.
An exception will be made only for special fuels, such as aviation fuel or fuel used in the army. All other fuel sold at Ukrainian gas stations must meet the new requirements.
Why is this important? First, biofuels are a more environmentally friendly option. It reduces carbon dioxide emissions and thus helps fight climate change. Second, the development of domestic biofuel production supports the agricultural sector and creates new jobs.
Control over the quality of such fuel and compliance with the share of biocomponents is the responsibility of the state. In particular, the Ministry of Energy, together with the relevant authorities, should define technical standards, monitor the market and report on the progress of compliance.
Thus, the law should bring Ukraine closer to European environmental standards, reduce dependence on fuel imports, and at the same time support the domestic economy.
However, it is worth noting that recently Ukrainians have been switching to A-98/100 due to bioethanol in gasoline. In May 2025, the volume of imports of A-98/100 high-octane gasoline to Ukraine exceeded 5 thousand tons. This was a record monthly supply since 2009.
UPG remained the largest importer, importing 1.5 thousand tons of gasoline. 90% of it was supplied through the Select Energy trader, and the rest came from the Polish producer Warter Fuels. Socar was in second place, having increased its supply volumes by 66% compared to April, to 780 tons. The gasoline came from the Polish company Citronex. The third place was taken by OKKO, which imported 570 tons of gasoline from PKN Orlen, increasing supplies by 21%. The company started selling A-98 gasoline in May.
The total number of companies that imported gasoline in May increased to 20 compared to 15 in April.
The main factor behind the rapid increase in imports of high-octane gasoline was the law on mandatory addition of bioethanol to gasoline that came into force on May 1. However, this requirement does not apply to gasoline with an octane rating of 98 and above. Many consumers were wary of gasoline with bioethanol and preferred high-octane fuel. This led to a surge in demand for A-98/100 grades, which temporarily put gasoline off the shelves even in the UPG network, the largest importer of this resource.
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