Last week, Elizabeth Sviatkivska, Coordinator of the EU Integration Committee of Ukrainian Dairy, joined a series of important events in Brussels dedicated to the future of agri-food systems and Ukraine’s integration into the European market.
In particular, she took part in the annual Forum for the Future of Agriculture 2026 conference, one of the leading European platforms for shaping policies in agriculture, the environment, and sustainable development. The theme of this year’s event, “Rebooting the Food System,” reflected the need for profound transformations in the industry.
The discussions focused on financing change, the future of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, and the impact of climate and geopolitical challenges. Participants emphasised that modern agriculture is no longer considered in isolation, but is part of a comprehensive system that encompasses climate, biodiversity, innovation and finance.
Among the key messages of the conference:
— food security is increasingly becoming an element of global security;
— about 680 billion dollars are needed annually to transform the agricultural sector;
— the future EU agricultural policy will be more closely integrated with climate, energy and investment policies;
— digitalisation and innovation, including artificial intelligence, are becoming the basis of the new policy.
After the conference, Elizabeth Sviatkivska took part in a working meeting of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) of the European Commission. European partners outlined key expectations for Ukraine’s integration into the EU agricultural policy.
Among them:
— the need to implement part of the European legislation by 2028;
— the creation of a full-fledged Paying Agency as a prerequisite for access to EU funding;
— ensuring transparent management and control systems;
— active digitalisation as a tool for increasing efficiency and reducing corruption risks.
Special attention was paid to cooperation with industry organisations. As part of the visit, meetings were held with representatives of the European Dairy Association and EUCOLAIT, during which the implementation of the Roadmap for the Integration of the Ukrainian Dairy Sector into the EU and further steps in cooperation were discussed.
The SMPU notes that such meetings are important for strengthening dialogue between Ukrainian and European businesses and for the practical preparation of the industry for Ukraine’s future membership in the EU.
The SMPU expresses its gratitude to the German-Ukrainian Agro-Political Dialogue (APD Ukraine) for providing organisational support for the visit.
