Ukraine’s Agriculture in The Crossfire: How Today’s Realities Shape Its Path to The EU

Ukrainian Agribusiness Club together with UCABevent invites you to join the 14th online discussion, focused on the challenges facing Ukraine’s agricultural sector in times of war and its complex path toward EU integration.

Date: November 12 (Thursday) 

Time: 11:00 – 12:30 (Kyiv time) 

Working language: English

Access is free of charge: https://forms.gle/iShykvhDqmUAtxgPA 

Ukraine’s path to EU membership is being shaped by two simultaneous processes: the EU is defining the future conditions of agricultural integration, while the war is fundamentally affecting Ukrainian producers’ economic capacity to meet them. The challenge is not only to maintain Ukraine’s agricultural production and exports today, but also to preserve the financial and investment capacity needed for tomorrow’s integration.

The discussion will be focused on the following questions: 

• What are the current challenges and government priorities regarding Ukraine’s agricultural exports under pressure?
• What practical steps are required to streamline agricultural export logistics and expand the capacity of active trade routes?
• How can Ukrainian agriculture maintain its economic resilience under the pressures of war while building the financial and operational capacity required for EU integration?
• What financing and investment mechanisms are needed to support Ukrainian producers in adapting to EU agricultural, environmental and food safety standards?

Agenda 

11:00 – 11:05: Opening remarks. 

Alex Lissitsa, President, UCAB

11:05 – 11:15: Ukraine’s agricultural exports under pressure: current challenges and government priorities 

Taras Vysotskyi, Minister of agrarian policy and food of Ukraine

11:15 – 11:25: Current Export Routes: Key Bottlenecks and Opportunities to Improve Logistics Efficiency and Capacity

• Andrii Kashuba, UCAB senior adviser, former Deputy Minister for Infrastructure of Ukraine
• Sylwia Borkowska, DG MOVE, European Commission
• Charles-Antoine de Crombrugghe de Pickendaele, DG ENEST, European Commission (TBC)

11:25 – 12:20 

Panel Discussion: Ukrainian producers between war and EU integration: the dual challenge of resilience and transition 

Moderator: Nazar Bobitski, Director, UCAB Brussels Office 

Panelists 

• Oleksandra Avramenko, Head, European integration committee, UCAB
• Dmytro Kokhan, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council 
• Vitalii Nikula, Director of the State Enterprise “Izmail Sea Commercial Port”
• Sylwia Borkowska, DG MOVE, European Commission
• Charles-Antoine de Crombrugghe de Pickendaele, DG ENEST, European Commission (TBC)
• Taras Gagalyuk,  Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) (TBC)

12:20 – 12:25: Q&A from the online audience. 

12:25 – 12:30: Closing Remarks