The Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (SMPU) has become the first industry association to announce a plan to adapt to EU standards and has invited all stakeholders to join this effort. The SMPU EU Integration Committee, operating in partnership with the European Dairy Association (EDA), will serve as the leading platform for developing breakthrough solutions.

According to the Head of the EU Integration Committee, Andrii Tabalov, CEO of the dairy company Voloshkove Pole, the Committee’s key tasks have already been defined. These include:

• developing a Roadmap for the EU integration of Ukraine’s dairy sector;
• facilitating the implementation of EU standards in milk production and processing;
• preparing proposals for legislative and regulatory acts related to EU integration;
• protecting the interests of domestic milk producers on the European market and strengthening cooperation with the European Dairy Association.

“SMPU invites all interested parties to cooperate within the EU Integration Committee, including sectoral associations, milk producers and processors, international projects and organisations, experts, and government representatives. Together, we can make Ukraine’s dairy sector competitive on the European market. To succeed, Ukraine as a state—and the dairy sector in particular—must both listen and be heard in the EU, in order to avoid repeating the mistakes experienced by grain producers in Poland,” Andrii Tabalov emphasised.

Elizabeth Sviatkivska, Coordinator of the SMPU EU Integration Committee, noted that the first steps will include preparing an action plan to adapt Ukraine’s dairy sector to EU standards.

“Our goal is to help Ukrainian milk producers and processors become more competitive in foreign markets through the implementation of European standards. In particular, the Committee’s work involves developing a roadmap for EU integration—a clear action plan outlining the required steps, resources, and timelines. The Committee will provide informational and advisory support, engage relevant experts, and promote Ukrainian dairy products in foreign markets. To achieve this, we will actively cooperate with European partners and adopt their experience,” Sviatkivska stressed.“This is not only about access to the EU single market, but about building transparent and understandable business practices, ensuring safe production, and attracting investment into the economy. It is a path toward strengthening Ukraine, fostering economic growth, and securing a European future.”

At the same time, as noted by Maks Fasteyev, Advisor to the SMPU EU Integration Committee and analyst at Infagro, the initiative creates “an opportunity to improve communication and mutual understanding with European colleagues.”

“We plan to attract expertise and investment to build a dairy sector in Ukraine that meets European requirements and strengthens the European dairy market as a whole. Our goal is not to turn Ukraine into a competitor to Europe, but to become part of the European Union’s single market. In this way, Ukraine will strengthen the common market, including in third-country export markets. In other words, we are talking about strengthening Europe itself. To become stronger, we must transform and meet the required standards,” the expert emphasised.

Arsen Didur, Executive Director of the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine, highlighted that a strong EU Integration Committee will give new momentum to addressing long-standing challenges in the dairy sector—many of which already have proven solutions within the EU.

“SMPU, which unites the majority of dairy business participants, will support the Committee’s work in adapting the sector to EU requirements on quality and safety, production efficiency, financial transparency, combating adulteration, and reducing the shadow economy in Ukraine’s dairy sector,” Didur noted.

The dairy sector is among the first industries in Ukraine to systematically prepare for the country’s accession to the EU. Contacts with European counterparts have already been established, work on a new adaptation roadmap is underway, and dialogue with the Parliamentary Agrarian Committee and the Government has been intensified. These steps are expected to ease the integration of this traditionally vital sector into European realities.