The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has prepared a draft act on the transitional period in the reservation system, which provides for the automatic extension of the criticality status for enterprises until February 1, 2027. This decision will apply to companies whose relevant status expires in November-December 2026.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has prepared a draft act on the transitional period in the reservation system, which provides for the automatic extension of the criticality status for enterprises until February 1, 2027. This decision will apply to companies whose relevant status expires in November-December 2026.
The initiative is intended to ensure the continuity of critical business operations during the transition to the updated booking algorithm approved by the government on October 27, 2026, the Government Portal reports .
Reviewing and implementing new business requirements occurs in four steps.
Criteria approval: 90% of government agencies (all ministries and OVA) have already reviewed the sectoral criteria, and the Coordination Center approved them within 10 days. The remaining agencies are finalizing their proposals.
State registration: state bodies, together with the Ministry of Justice, will register the relevant acts within 5 working days, after which the updated criteria will come into force.
Status review: Companies that received status based on invalid criteria will lose it, but will be able to immediately submit a new application based on other valid grounds.
Scheduled confirmation: businesses for which the criteria have not changed will submit documents to the central executive authorities (CEBs) and the OVA in the usual manner - 2–3 months before the expiration of the status.
Now, to obtain or continue to be critical, compliance with basic financial or industry indicators is not enough. Companies must meet two additional requirements.
Provide a justification for the risks: the employer must prove that stopping the company's work will harm the defense capability, the livelihood of the population, the operation of critical infrastructure facilities, or the macro-financial stability of the state.
Work in one of 13 defined areas:
security and energy — defense-industrial complex (DIC), fuel and energy complex (FEC), emergency and rescue services.
Manufacturing and construction — mining and processing industries, construction, agricultural production, and food security.
Infrastructure and services — transport and logistics, IT, communications, banking, healthcare, retail.
If necessary, this list of areas may be expanded upon the proposal of the relevant Central Executive Body, agreed with the Coordination Center.
