On 20 May, the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (SMPU) held a conference dedicated to the presentation of the Roadmap for the EU integration of the Dairy Sector of Ukraine. The event brought together representatives from parliament, the government, business associations and international organisations to discuss the integration of the Ukrainian dairy industry into the EU single market.
Switzerland, as part of the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP), supported the development of this strategic document for the sector.
“The Roadmap reflects a shared commitment to building a modern, competitive and sustainable dairy sector, fully prepared for integration into the EU single market. Its particular value lies in a truly partnership-based approach, which has brought together government institutions, business, industry associations, experts and international partners around a shared vision for the sector’s future,” noted Manon Schuppers, Co-CEO of SAFOSO AG (Switzerland), in her opening remarks during the event.
QFTP experts took part in a panel discussion dedicated to the harmonisation of Ukrainian food safety legislation with EU standards, moderated by Iryna Vysotska, Deputy Local Manager, Dairy Sector Component Coordinator of the QFTP Programme.
The discussion was also attended by Tetiana Garkavenko, Senior Advisor for the QFTP Dairy Sector Component; Mykola Tibezh, Сhief Specialist in the Food Safety Department of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine; Igor Lotskin, Director of the Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine at the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection; Vadym Chagarovsky, Head of the SMPU; Olena Zhupinas, Deputy Director and Head of Processing Cooperation Projects at the Association of Milk Producers, and Yuriy Ohlashennyy, Senior Consultant at the QFTP Programme.
Key topics included approaches to the phased tightening of quality requirements for milk delivered forprocessing, feed safety controls, the implementation of traceability systems, and increasing market transparency as a prerequisite for strengthening the trust of European partners and expanding export opportunities.
Separate discussions focused on adapting the regulatory framework to EU standards, developing state control mechanisms, and strengthening the institutional capacity of regulatory bodies.
Since 2016, Switzerland has been supporting the Ukrainian dairy sector, helping to improve the quality and safety of raw milk in line with international standards, with a particular focus on trade development and the production of dairy products with higher added value.
With the support of QFTP, work is continuing to align Ukraine’s regulatory framework in the areas of food safety, animal health and animal welfare with European Union legislation.
“Despite the challenges posed by the war, the Ukrainian dairy sector is demonstrating resilience, professionalism and a readiness to adapt. Today, we are no longer just talking about the technical alignment of individual requirements, but also about more comprehensive structural and institutional changes to transform the entire system: from the quality of raw milk and state control to traceability, the accountability of food business operators and the sector’s readiness to operate under EU rules. We are convinced that the implementation of the Roadmap will be an important step towards the modernisation of the industry and its successful integration into the EU economic area,” noted Iryna Vysotska.
The SMPU noted that the dairy sector is already actively preparing to operate under EU rules. Conference participants emphasised that successful European integration requires not only the harmonisation of legislation, but also the systematic implementation of standards and constant interaction between business, the authorities and European partners.
The Roadmap for EU integration of Ukrainian dairy sector can be viewed via the link (in Ukrainian only).
Further details about the event can be found here.
The full recording of the event is available on the QFTP YouTube channel.
The event was organised by the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (SMPU) in partnership with the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with the support of:
• Switzerland within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sectors in Ukraine” (QFTP) implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland);
• Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine.
