EC evaluates Ukrainian agricultural sector's readiness for European integration as satisfactory

MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax) - The European Commission (EC) has assessed the Ukrainian agricultural sector's readiness for European integration as satisfactory in a report on Ukraine, Ukrainian media quoted Vice President for Economic Education at the Kiev School of Economics (KSE) Prof. Oleg Nivyevsky as saying on social media.

"The agricultural sector's readiness for European integration looks as follows, on aggregate it is also 'two' so far (in a five-point system)," he said.

The EC evaluated the Ukrainian agricultural sector and rural development at one (early stage of preparation); food security, veterinary and phytosanitary services at three (moderately prepared); aquaculture at two (some level of preparation).

Nivyevsky said that the EC evaluates progress using a six-point system. Accordingly, when recalculated to the Ukrainian evaluation system, it looks satisfactory with grades of four for the agricultural sector and rural development, as well as for food security, veterinary and phytosanitary services. Five was given for the European integration process in aquaculture.

"There is some progress. [...] To make a long story short, there is still a great deal of work to be done for the state machinery," Nivyevsky said.

As reported, the EC completed the initial screening of Ukrainian legislation for compliance with EU regulations in the spring of 2024. From now on, each legislative act will be verified paragraph by paragraph and sentence by sentence, while agricultural legislation will be screened last, tentatively in September 2025, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotsky said.

He said in comments to Ukrainian media that the most difficult in terms of implementation for Ukraine could be the adaptation of the plant protection system, inclusion of nitrate directives, compliance with greenhouse gas emission standards per hectare of agricultural land, as well as the need for widespread concern for animal welfare and keeping conditions. A review of the veterinary system and usage of veterinary drugs, in particular, antibiotics, will constitute a separate challenge.