No viable production means no food security, no investment means no transition, no economic activity means no living countryside. The European Dairy Association’s vision — and its lessons for Ukraine.

As reported by Elisabeth Svyatkivska, Deputy Executive Director for International Affairs and European Integration at the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (UDEU), European Dairy Association (EDA) President Koert Verkerk set out in Bratislava a vision that everyone working on the EU integration of Ukraine’s dairy industry should read carefully.

In her view, it is a fairly clear formula for what the European Union (EU) will build its dairy market policy on in the coming years.

High standards come at a price

European dairy products meet some of the highest standards in the world. That also means high costs, while many competitors operate under very different conditions. Europe’s advantage is quality, innovation and trust.

If higher costs do not translate into higher value, if investment stalls or markets close, competitiveness collapses. The key message: no viable production means no food security, no investment means no transition, and no economic activity means no living countryside.

Sustainability is only possible with income

The sector is expected to reduce its environmental footprint and improve animal welfare while keeping food affordable. EDA stresses that a farm without stable income will not invest in the future, and a processor without profitability will not fund the next step.

Healthier animals and more efficient use of resources both reduce environmental impact and improve results.

There is no single model

Policy should set the direction and reward progress, but leave farmers and companies free to choose solutions that work in practice.

That is why EDA backed Commissioner Hansen’s livestock strategy: it recognises livestock as a strategic part of the food system, not just an environmental problem. The next task is to turn that recognition into workable policy.

Three inseparable conditions

  • Confidence to invest: predictable rules, a strong Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and an EU budget that matches its ambitions.
  • Innovation that delivers: simpler rules, faster approvals, support for first movers and scaling up proven solutions on farms and in plants.
  • Open and fair markets: better access, fair competition and long-term partnerships. Value created by exports flows back to farms and communities.

Lessons for Ukraine

According to Svyatkivska, Europe itself acknowledges that standards without market access and investment undermine competitiveness. For Ukrainian producers, that is a direct argument: adapting to the EU acquis (the body of EU law) must go hand in hand with financial instruments and predictable access to the EU market.

The principle that «policy sets the direction, business chooses the solution» should also be built into Ukrainian regulation, particularly when harmonising dairy product requirements.

The message on fair markets and long-term partnerships opens room for dialogue on Ukraine–EU trade terms, including tariff-rate quota administration.

Ukraine’s dairy industry can strengthen European food security rather than compete with it — the position UDEU consistently conveys to its European partners.

Source: Elisabeth Svyatkivska’s Facebook