Problems of development of the agricultural sector of Ukraine's economy on the way to European integration

Abstract

Introduction. The path to European integration is currently a conscious choice of Ukraine. The consequences of a full-scale war have led to the outflow of a significant number of people abroad, a decrease in real incomes, a reorientation of consumers to meet basic needs, and the curtailment of investment programmes by most enterprises, which has resulted in a narrowing of the domestic market. Starting from 24 February 2022, Ukraine's European integration processes gained a new level of relevance and intensity. Ultimately, this resulted in Ukraine being granted the status of a candidate for membership of the European Union on 23 June 2022. Therefore, from now on, in order to speed up the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU, special attention should be paid to the objects to be integrated. In this case, we will consider the main problems of the agricultural sector that stand in the way of prompt approximation of all aspects of policy and legislation to the EU policies, norms and rules. The purpose of the article is to identify the current problems faced by the agrarian sector on the way to effective development of integration processes with a view to joining the European Union. Methodology. The article uses the dialectical method of scientific cognition of processes and phenomena, comparative analysis of the institutional environment in the European Union and Ukraine, and the analytical method for objective assessments of socio-economic processes in the agricultural sector of Ukraine. Results. The article analyses and explores the current problems faced by the agricultural sector in exporting products. The problematic issues that arise on the way to European integration are considered. How does martial law affect the process of European integration in the context of agriculture? Attention is focused on the damage caused to the agricultural sector after the outbreak of a full-scale war. The commodity structure of exports of foreign trade in agricultural products in recent years is analysed. The importance and prospects of further research into the problems that arise on the way to integration into European standards are substantiated. Thus, the practical significance of the study lies in the further development of recommendations on the directions and measures to address the problems identified in the article, which should facilitate the European integration path of the agricultural sector, supporting and developing farms and private peasant households as points of economic growth.