Disrupting the Balance: Will the EU Be Better off without the Ukrainian Agri-Food Products?

Ukrainian Agribusiness Club together with UCABevent invites you to join the 10th online discussion, focused on the future of EU-Ukraine agri-food trade relations after the expiry of the EU trade preferences for Ukraine on June 5.

In the context of evolving trade tensions and the approaching expiration of Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs), the role of Ukraine in the EU’s agri-food supply chain has become a subject of heated debate. Is the EU truly self-sufficient in agri-food production, or does it still rely on key external suppliers for stability and competitiveness?

This webinar brings together trade experts and market analysts to examine the real impact of Ukrainian agri-food exports on the European balance sheet — from commodity flows to food security metrics.

The discussion will be focused on the following questions:

• How strong is EU’s self-sufficiency in agri-food, or is external sourcing still a structural necessity?
• What role does Ukraine play in the EU’s agri-food trade balance — economically, strategically, and politically?
• How would a contraction in trade with Ukraine affect EU food prices, consumer access, and long-term market stability?

As trade decisions with long-term consequences loom, this session aims to provide fact-based insights and a platform for forward-looking discussion.

• May 15, 2025 (Thursday)
• 11:00 - 12:30 (Kyiv time)/10:00-11:30 (CET  time)
• English

Access is free of charge: https://cutt.ly/rrlYsoNl 

Agenda

11:00 - 11:10 Kick-off remarks.
Alex Lissitsa, President of UCAB

11:10 - 12:10 Panel Discussion
 Moderator: Oleksandra Avramenko, head, European integration committee, UCAB

Panelists

• Prof. Dr. Alfons Balmann, Director and Head of Department Structural Change at IAMO
• Dr. Heinz Strubenhoff, an independent consultant of the European Commission and the European Investment Bank
• Prof. Dr. Martin Banse, Head of Thünen Institute of Market Analysis
• Dr. Oleh Nivyevskyi, Dean of the Faculty of the Graduate Economics Studies, KSE

12:10 - 12:20 Q&As from the online audience.

12:20 - 12:30 - Alex Lissitsa, President of UCAB, concluding remarks.