On 30 October, Kyiv hosted the conference “On the Path to Integration: Government–Business Dialogue for Ukraine’s EU Accession”, organised by the Kyiv School of Economics together with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and supported by Sweden.

The event brought together over 200 participants and became a high-level platform for dialogue between the government, business, EU representatives and international partners on the key challenges and opportunities of Ukraine’s European integration. Among the participants were representatives of various business sectors — from energy, finance, IT, and manufacturing to agri-food, transport, media, consulting, retail, and construction.

The conference was opened by Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics, who emphasised the importance of cooperation between the government, business and the scientific community for the practical promotion of reforms and Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU.

The introductory panel featured speeches by Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Gediminas Navickas, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, and Martin Åberg, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Ukraine. The discussion was moderated by Nataliia Shapoval, President of the KSE Institute.

The first panel was devoted to issues of harmonising Ukrainian agricultural policy with the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), in particular adaptation to new standards, market access, quotas and preferences. Participants paid particular attention to how the systematisation of agricultural data could become a new political infrastructure — a basis for decision-making based not on outdated reports, but on up-to-date analytics and reliable information from the field. The discussion was attended by Denys Bashlyk, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine; Frank Bollen, Head of the Neighbourhood, Enlargement and Pre-Accession Assistance Department (DG AGRI, European Commission); Volodymyr Slavinsky, Director of Trade at Nibulon; and Oleg Khomenko, CEO of UACB. The panel was moderated by Olena Sotnyk, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Executive Director of Rasmussen Global Ukraine.

The second panel focused on the integration of Ukrainian business into the EU’s single digital market, harmonisation of legislation, recognition of professional qualifications, and development of the technology sector. At the same time, the speakers emphasised that Ukrainian companies should already be preparing for European rules, understanding the requirements and seeing European integration as an opportunity for growth, innovation and entry into the EU market. Participants included Oleksandr Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for European Integration; Tetiana Miskova, Regional Coordinator of the EU4Innovation East project in Ukraine; Marta Kindrys, Director of the IT Advocacy and Development Centre at IT Ukraine Association; Petro Bilyk, Partner at Juscutum Law Firm; and Oleksii Dorogan, Executive Director of BRDO. The moderator was Ihor Pysmennyi, Academic Director of the Master’s Programme in Computer Science at KSE.

The third panel was devoted to the integration of Ukraine’s transport sector into the single EU market. Issues discussed included the harmonisation of rules for road transport and rail connections, safety standards, environmental requirements, and the integration of private business into the EU. European representatives also noted Ukraine’s significant progress in implementing transport agreements and stressed the importance of further reforms for full entry into the European market. The discussion was attended by Serhiy Derkach, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine; Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia; Mona Björklund, Director of Policy Coordination, DG MOVE, European Commission; and Yuriy Benevytskyi, CEO of Nova Poshta Global. The panel was moderated by Olga Vasyltsova, Editor-in-Chief of International Politics and Society magazine, Regional Office ‘Dialogue Eastern Europe’ of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The final panel was devoted to Ukraine’s industrial transformation — from harmonising technical regulations to integrating into EU production chains. The discussion focused on updating standards, developing industrial parks, green investments, and the participation of Ukrainian enterprises in EU industrial alliances as an opportunity for modernisation and growth. Speakers included Andriy Telyupa, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine; Gennadiy Chyzhykov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Natalia Sydoruk, Director of Government Relations at Interpipe; Oleksandr Vodoviz, Head of the Office of the CEO of Metinvest Group; and Alberto Fernandez-Diez, representative of the Cabinet of Commissioner Marta Kos, responsible for Ukraine. The moderator was Iryna Kosse, Senior Research Fellow and Project Coordinator at the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER).

Following the discussions, participants concluded that Ukraine’s successful integration into the EU depends on the coordinated work of the state, business and partners, as well as on the consistent updating of legislation in line with EU standards. The main tasks for the near future include deeper sectoral integration, effective implementation of reforms and more active involvement of businesses — both large and small and medium-sized — in European integration processes.