Cooperation in Agriculture

In October 2006 Ukraine and the EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Dialogue on Agriculture between Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and DG “Agriculture and Rural Development” of the European Commission. The Memorandum outlines areas of bilateral cooperation in the sphere of agriculture and initiates different consultation formats.

Taking into account high dynamics of relations in this field in December 2011 in Brussels the 8th meeting of EU-Ukraine Dialogue on agriculture and rural development was held. During the Dialogue the parties discussed ways of strengthening of cooperation in agriculture sphere, and had an exchange of views on rural development in Ukraine and the EU. One of the results of negotiations was the establishment of EU-Ukraine Agricultural Support Fund. The Fund activity is focused on the elaborating of a new strategy for development of rural areas in Ukraine and technical assistance with a view to implement the European standards in Ukraine.

Among the main issues that experts continue to examine closely in the framework of the Dialogue are:

· development of rural areas in Ukraine and the EU;

· reforms of agricultural sector in Ukraine;

· evaluation of agricultural markets;

· use of GMO;

· organic farming;

· food security.

In recent years the cooperation between representatives of agriculture business of Ukraine and the EU has been reinforced