– The work on the development of the Roadmap for the European integration of the dairy sector of Ukraine is coming to an end. Its presentation to the dairy community is expected in May. What, in your opinion, was the most challenging part of this work?

In my opinion, the biggest challenge in developing the Roadmap was finding a balance between the ambitious requirements of European legislation (EU acquis) and the harsh realities the Ukrainian dairy business currently faces. We faced the need to align business interests with EU requirements, and now, with the recently approved National Program for Adaptation of Legislation.

The main challenge was to create not a “paper” strategy, but a viable mechanism. It was important to prove that European norms are not only restrictions but also a tool for improving the investment attractiveness of businesses through transparency in operating rules.

– 11 working groups were created to prepare the Roadmap, each of which worked on a separate block of European integration issues. In addition to general project coordination, you also oversaw the work of one of these groups. Please tell us in more detail about the state of readiness of the direction for which this group was responsible.

The working group “Sustainable Development – Recycling” that I headed addressed issues that have long remained on the periphery of attention, but that, in fact, will be quite complex and critical in terms of the funds needed to adapt them to EU requirements.

The biggest challenges will be in three key vectors:

Waste and packaging management. Here, the legislative foundation for implementing Directive 94/62/EC (on packaging and packaging waste) still needs to be laid. The key stage will be to create the conditions for the functioning of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). This means that our processors must be fully integrated into the collection and disposal system for packaging. Actually, the main challenge is to create such a system, and the next step is to incorporate the specifics of the dairy industry.

Circular economy. Here, too, a large amount of work will first consist of developing bylaws to classify whey and other by-products as valuable resources. We strive to make what was previously considered waste profitable as raw materials for feed or bioenergy.

Energy efficiency. According to the roadmap, it is necessary to conduct large-scale energy audits (from pasteurisation to cooling systems) and stimulate the transition to renewable energy sources, which is an integral part of the EU Green Deal. The issue of audits will be relevant to almost all 11 groups, since understanding the current state of affairs in the industry is the starting point for assessing the scope of necessary changes and investments.

– How was the coordination of work between all groups, government structures, the European partner – the consulting company Prospex – and other associations?

The Roadmap was created at several levels. This is an expert level, where the 11 working groups worked separately, but in the end, at joint events, we constantly “checked the clocks” so that, for example, the issues of declaration by the first buyers of raw milk were taken into account in the part responsible for trade and statistical reporting. All work was carried out under the guidance of the consulting company Prospex, which helped synchronise the work in the 11 groups and provided us with modern technical tools.

And, of course, we worked in constant dialogue with the relevant ministries so that the Roadmap became a logical continuation of the state policy recorded in the National Program.

– What results do you expect after completing the Roadmap? How would you like it to be used by industry enterprises — both milk producers and processors?

The completion of the Map is just the beginning. I hope that the document will become a practical guide for the further transformation of the industry, a clear guideline on where additional investments are needed and where legislative changes are sufficient to bring our market closer to the EU. The milk producer should see what animal husbandry and environmental management standards will be mandatory in 3 or 5 years. The processor receives a clear timeline for modernising facilities and implementing new requirements.

We want businesses to use this Map as an advocacy tool. Having such a solid document, industry associations will be able to conduct a more effective dialogue with both the state and European partners on attracting financial support and preferential lending for “sustainable development” projects.

We want European consumers associated Ukrainian milk not only with quality, but also with a responsible attitude towards the environment. We want this document not to sit on the shelf, but to serve as the basis for enterprises’ investment plans until 2030. European integration is not only about rules, but also about our competitiveness in the global market.

INFAGRO