EBA reminds about the entry into force of new requirements for companies to conduct customer service in Ukrainian

14/ 01/ 2021

On January 16, new requirements of Article 30 of the Law On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language come into force, which states that the Ukrainian language is the language of customer service in Ukraine. Therefore, all companies regardless of the form of ownership must provide customer service and information about goods or services in Ukrainian. At the same time, the service may be provided in another language acceptable to the parties (for example, Russian or English) at the request of the client. These requirements apply both to businesses that work offline (for example, restaurants, salons, retail shops, etc.), as well as to online stores. Besides, Article 30 regulates the use of the Ukrainian language in product labeling. In particular, information about products is provided in Ukrainian in the manner specified in the Law On Consumer Protection. If, in addition to the state language, information about the goods is provided in other languages, the amount of information provided in the Ukrainian language may not be less than the mandatory amount of information provided by the legislation on consumer protection. At the same time, the Law allows the use of words, abbreviations, and acronyms in English or with the use of Latin letters when providing information about the goods in Ukrainian. In case the company violates the requirements of Article 30, it shall take the respective responsibility provided by the Law. Upon receipt of information about the violation, the relevant officials will draw an act based on the results of control over the use of the state language, and companies will receive a warning and 30 days to eliminate violations. If violations of the requirements are repeated during the year, the Ukrainian Language Commissioner will impose a fine of three hundred to four hundred non-taxable minimum incomes (from 5,100 to 6,800 hryvnias). The business community as an association of socially conscious and responsible businesses is ready to comply with the updated norm. At the same time, the community hopes that there will be no abuses in this context from the side of regulatory authorities.

On January 16, new requirements of Article 30 of the Law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language” come into force, which states that the Ukrainian language is the language of customer service in Ukraine.

Therefore, all companies regardless of the form of ownership must provide customer service and information about goods or services in Ukrainian. At the same time, the service may be provided in another language acceptable to the parties (for example, Russian or English) at the request of the client. These requirements apply both to businesses that work offline (for example, restaurants, salons, retail shops, etc.), as well as to online stores.

Besides, Article 30 regulates the use of the Ukrainian language in product labeling. In particular, information about products is provided in Ukrainian in the manner specified in the Law “On Consumer Protection”. If, in addition to the state language, information about the goods is provided in other languages, the amount of information provided in the Ukrainian language may not be less than the mandatory amount of information provided by the legislation on consumer protection. At the same time, the Law allows the use of words, abbreviations, and acronyms in English or with the use of Latin letters when providing information about the goods in Ukrainian.

In case the company violates the requirements of Article 30, it shall take the respective responsibility provided by the Law. Upon receipt of information about the violation, the relevant officials will draw an act based on the results of control over the use of the state language, and companies will receive a warning and 30 days to eliminate violations. If violations of the requirements are repeated during the year, the Ukrainian Language Commissioner will impose a fine of three hundred to four hundred non-taxable minimum incomes (from 5,100 to 6,800 hryvnias).

The business community as an association of socially conscious and responsible businesses is ready to comply with the updated norm. At the same time, the community hopes that there will be no abuses in this context from the side of regulatory authorities.