Last week Head of the European Integration Committee UCAB Oleksandra Avramenko participated in the 189th Seminar of the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE), which addressed the issue “EU enlargement by (post-)war Ukraine: Implications for the Agri-Food Markets”.

The event brought together leading academics, researchers and officials from the EU and Member States to discuss ways of Euro-integration recovery and development of Ukraine's agricultural sector in the context of war, as well as the challenges that the Ukrainian and European agrarian sectors will face during accession.

Seminar participants exchanged views and ideas on issues such as:

• Analysis of changes in the structure/organization of agricultural production, trade, and prices in Ukraine in the last decade and expected future trends.
• Quantification of short- and long-term effects of the war on the agri-food sectors and food security in Ukraine, EU member states, as well as non-EU countries and regions, including solutions and policy recommendations.
• Analysis of the impact on the European market of imports of agro-products from Ukraine and expectations of future EU decisions on trade in agro-products from Ukraine.

Oleksandra Avramenko, Head of the European Integration Committee UCAB, during the panel discussion “What are the next steps for an Ukrainian Accession to the EU?” emphasized: “The accession of Ukraine and the Ukrainian agricultural sector to the EU is accompanied by unprecedented challenges in the recent history of the European continent. In order to overcome the consequences of the war in the Ukrainian agricultural sector and to prepare for the introduction of all European norms and standards of production, Ukrainian agrarians will need not only financial support in the form of access to EU structural funds, but also in the form of knowledge and technology transfer, especially in food production. Ukrainian agricultural sector is one of the last sectors of the economy that generates significant foreign exchange and budget revenues and supports the country's macro-financial stability and our ability to defend ourselves. Applying additional requirements for access of Ukrainian products to the European market in time for Ukraine's accession to the EU could have a significant negative impact on the country's economy, therefore it should be considered gradually and provide for additional transition periods and funding”. 

Thanks to the organizers and partners of the seminar - European Association of Agricultural Economists, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Kyiv School of Economics, Thünen Institute, for the opportunity to join the discussions that help to form a comprehensive view of the agricultural potential of Ukraine and the EU.