Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna held a meeting in a hybrid format with representatives of the European Business Association.

The official answered the key questions of businesses regarding the EU accession negotiation process, risks and opportunities of integration into the European market, as well as Ukraine's preparations for joining the bloc.

"Today, Ukraine's European integration is an irreversible process. Among other things, it means a complete restart of the legal and regulatory framework in Ukraine. This is a rather complicated process, but on the other hand, it is a certain element of strategic certainty for business. We understand what our future as a country and as an economy will look like in the coming years and decades. As a government, we are preparing for the opening of EU accession negotiations at the end of this year and are fulfilling our political tasks. But we also want the business community to be prepared for these ambitious plans," said Olha Stefanishyna.

In the context of preparations for the talks, the Deputy Prime Minister reminded that the Government of Ukraine had launched a comprehensive self-screening process to assess the compliance of the Ukrainian legislative and regulatory framework with European standards. Thus, the European Union has handed over 29,000 pieces of legislation to be implemented by the time the Accession Agreement is signed. The self-assessment process is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

"I see a big role for business in preparing Ukraine's negotiating position, especially for Ukrainian producers, because negotiations are the art of exceptions and warnings. This will be the essence of the negotiation process. That is why we have to define for ourselves the "red lines" in terms of the timeframe for the implementation of EU legislation and certain exceptions for the market, for producers, access to subsidies, financing: the Government is offering you to take the initiative. We expect that Ukraine's position will be supported by the position and vision of business. For my part, I want to convey to you a message that this will require serious work at the level of your companies," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Olha Stefanishyna informed the interlocutors that Ukraine was starting to sign bilateral agreements with neighboring countries to work on joint projects in Ukraine to be financed by the EU structural funds.

The official assured that Ukraine already had considerable experience in harmonizing and adapting its legislation to EU law. At the same time, this is only part of what needs to be done on the path to European integration. Currently, it is important to catch up in a number of areas, including ecology and green transformation, pharmaceutical business, agriculture, and labor relations.