The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has established a Coordination Centre for the mobilisation exemption of employees and initiated a review of the criteria used to designate enterprises as critically important. The decision was adopted on October 23, 2026. The new Centre will operate as a temporary government advisory body involving representatives of authorities responsible for the economy, defence, security and critical infrastructure. Its purpose is to coordinate exemption procedures and help retain employees essential to the stable operation of businesses.
The Coordination Centre will review applications submitted by government authorities concerning critical enterprise status, coordinate sectoral and regional eligibility criteria, and approve requests to increase exemption quotas above 50%. It may also recommend revoking critically important status where justified. The standard review period will be up to one month, while urgent requests must be considered within seven working days. Final decisions on granting critically important status will remain the responsibility of authorised government bodies.
Ministries and regional military administrations must review their critical enterprise criteria within 10 days after the changes enter into force. Updated requirements will require approval from the Coordination Centre. The Ministry of Economy emphasises that reviewing the criteria does not automatically trigger a reassessment of every enterprise. Companies previously recognised as critically important under criteria that remain unchanged will retain their status. For agricultural businesses, this means monitoring further decisions by the relevant authorities, as specific sectoral requirements may be revised.
The government has also set a maximum exemption quota of 95% of eligible employees for enterprises in the fuel and energy sector and the defence industry. This is not a general quota applicable to all sectors, including agriculture. According to the Ministry of Economy, employees directly involved in essential production and emergency restoration operations should remain protected under the applicable exemption arrangements. Employees who qualify for deferment on other legal grounds will also be counted when calculating exemption quotas. Agricultural enterprises should continue complying with existing eligibility requirements while monitoring possible regulatory updates.
Original source: Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, October 24, 2026.