Regulatory problems of consumer protection of agricultural products in civil law relations

In the civil law regulation of consumer protection of agricultural products, there are gaps in terminology, which requires a clear legislative definition and reliable guarantees for the protection of the rights and interests of such consumers. The purpose of this study was to assess the status of consumers of agricultural products in Ukraine, the European Union and other countries, to form recommendations for the harmonisation of civil law definitions and mechanisms for consumer protection in the legislation of Ukraine. For this purpose, the paper used system and structural, formal and legal, and comparative and legal methods. The methodology allowed outlining the relationship between legal norms and institutions that determine the status of the consumer, and conducting a doctrinal analysis of normative texts. The study revealed that there is no single definition of “consumer of agricultural products” in Ukrainian and international legislation, and the concept of consumer is consistently defined as an individual operating outside of commercial or professional activities. It is indicated that agricultural products require specialised regulation due to seasonality, safety requirements, traceability, and labelling of such products. Comparative analysis showed that European standards provide for more clearly defined rights to receive information, waiver of the contract and warranty service. The results of adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to European standards in consumer protection and procedures for the return and exchange of hazardous food products were critically evaluated. The above judicial practice shows how the complex perception of the concept of “consumer” can be interpreted depending on the terms of the consumer contract, its purpose, which leads to an understanding of approaches to determining the consumer of agricultural products. The practical significance of the study lies in the proposed civil law definition and regulatory model, which will help regulators and scientists to improve the regulatory framework, harmonise national rules with international standards, and develop alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, which will contribute to the competitiveness of the national export-oriented agricultural sector