On April 17, 2026, the meeting of Working Group 2 “Economic integration and coherence with EU policy” of the UNP EaP CSF was held.
During the meeting of the working group, a number of topical issues of activity and further planning of work were considered.
Separately, the possibilities of participating in the competition of initiatives within the framework of the project “Support for the activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP FGS in 2025–2026”, administered by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting with the support of the European Union, were presented. In 2026, support is provided for 7 initiatives with a budget of 88,000 UAH each. Members of the working group were called upon to consider the possibility of preparing and submitting their own proposals by April 28, 2026.
The participants also discussed the possibility of implementing a joint initiative of the working group within the framework of the above-mentioned competition, which would allow consolidating efforts and strengthening the impact of the results.
In particular, the participants discussed the preparation for the annual conference, which will be held in June. It was identified as a key event of the year for presenting developments, exchanging experience and strengthening interaction between the platform participants. Additionally, the issue of preparing a position paper of the Platform on assessing the implementation of the Ukraine Facility, as well as forming a vision of the future model of support for Ukraine after 2027, was raised. The importance of agreeing on a common position and collecting proposals from the group members was emphasized.
Working group member Roman Korinets shared the results of a study prepared by his team. The presented work analyzed the development of agricultural advisory services and mechanisms for supporting rural areas in the face of modern challenges.
The study focuses on the role of advisory services as a tool for increasing the efficiency of the agricultural sector and community development. In particular, approaches to providing information and consulting services to farmers, disseminating modern technologies and knowledge, as well as strengthening the capacity of small and medium-sized producers are considered. Special attention is paid to issues of socio-economic development of rural areas and interaction between advisory structures and communities.
The results obtained emphasize the importance of the systematic development of advisory services as a component of the policy of sustainable development of rural areas and a tool for increasing the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
Information provided by Iryna Kuropas, UNP WG2 Coordinator
Thanks to Iryna Kuropas for organizing and conducting the meeting.
The event is implemented within the framework of the project ”Supporting the activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF in 2025-2026”, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.
