Elisabeth Svyatkivska, coordinator of the UDEU EU-Integration Committee: EU integration is not a threat but a strategic opportunity to be prepared now

EU membership is also about new opportunities for Ukrainian business, access to the single European market and the ability to compete and grow on equal terms with EU companies. As reported by the Elisabeth Svyatkivska, coordinator of the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (UDEU) EU-Integration Committee, spoke at a forum in Białystok, Poland, with a talk titled «Ukraine’s path to EU accession: opportunity or threat?», setting out the position the industry consistently conveys to European partners.

The central message is simple: EU integration is not a threat but a strategic opportunity that must be carefully prepared — not by hoping it «somehow works itself out», but by working systematically now.

The integration roadmap

In 2024–2026, the business community — without waiting for intergovernmental decisions — developed a Roadmap for integrating Ukraine’s dairy sector into the EU. 

It is not a declaration but a working tool for 2026–2030: 11 thematic areas (from food and feed safety to animal welfare and environmental sustainability), over 80 concrete tasks, a RASCI responsibility matrix and clear timelines — who does what and when.

Three things to dispel among European colleagues

First, Ukraine does not aspire to be a cheap mass supplier that crashes the market — its focus is on creating added value, not low cost. 

Second, this is about full alignment with EU standards — the Hygiene Package and General Food Law — not temporary easing. 

Third, trade integration is a two-way street: expanding the single market benefits both sides, not only Ukraine.

Position for European partners

The UDEU’s position is concrete: accelerate technical assistance and capacity building, jointly design fair transitional mechanisms and, above all, treat Ukraine’s dairy sector as a future partner rather than a competitor. 

For business, EU integration is about being ready to seize the opportunities that open up as Ukraine joins the EU and to become a full player in the single European market. 

The union thanked the forum’s organisers for a platform on which this position could be conveyed directly and honestly to a specialist audience from across Europe.

Source: Elisabeth Svyatkivska’s Facebook