Challenges and opportunities for the development of Ukrainian agriculture in the context of EU enlargement

Comprehensive assessment of challenges facing Ukraine on its path towards EU accession must inevitably include identification of those faced by the Ukrainian agricultural sector. Here, it is necessary to adapt to the rules, norms, and standards of the European Union, especially in the cases of the Common Agricultural Policy and the European Green Deal, as well as to identify ways to expand mutually beneficial cooperation between all connected parties within agricultural value chains. Analysis of Ukraine’s Input-Output tables and turnover of goods and services undertaken by the authors of this paper reveals deep integration of Ukrainian agriculture within the global economy. Dynamics of Ukrainian agri-food exports in 2014-2023, analysed according to the product structure and geographical directions, demonstrate stability of volumes and shares of exports to the EU, both in the pre-war period and currently – in conditions of a full-scale war. Furthermore, the study confirms the economic implausibility of most of the claims made recently by Eastern European farmers regarding the extreme influx of Ukrainian agri-food products. Among the anticipated benefits for Ukrainian agricultural sector accruing from joining the EU are the sector’s potential greening and diversification, as well as the likely development of domestic agri-food processing and increase of financing and innovations.