Ukraine Aims to Balance Agricultural Policy for EU Integration

This is reported by AgroReview

Ukraine expects that the countries of the European Union will be able to take on a political commitment regarding its accession to the union. This was stated by the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Taras Kachka, during a conversation with journalists at the YES forum organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.

Ways to Accelerate Negotiations and the Role of the Accession Date

According to Kachka, establishing a date for Ukraine’s accession to the EU will symbolize that the negotiations will conclude successfully. He expressed confidence that this could happen as early as next year, provided that the European Union and its member states implement the so-called “double or triple frontloading” – that is, conduct several processes in parallel. This, in turn, means increased demands on the Ukrainian parliament and government to implement the necessary reforms before or immediately after accession. Kachka emphasized that the more changes are implemented before joining, the more favorable the conditions will be for Ukraine.

“For this, it is necessary for the EU and its member states to engage in double-triple frontloading of some processes – to make them parallel. This also means sufficiently intense demands on us – the parliament and government to implement those things that we will have to implement before or after accession. But the more we implement beforehand, the better the conditions for accession will be,” he said.

Balancing Interests in Agricultural Policy and Dialogue with the EU

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that a key aspect is not only the date of accession but also the content of the political decisions being made. He noted Ukraine’s readiness to seek compromises, especially in the agricultural sector, to meet the demands of all EU members, particularly Poland. Kachka stressed that Ukraine aims to avoid creating any barriers or fears for farmers in Poland, France, and other EU countries.

In terms of ensuring the rule of law, as the official noted, Ukraine has already taken significant steps. At the same time, the Ukrainian side hopes that active work with EU members will begin in March to hear their positions and find common solutions for further integration.