Ukraine’s EU accession poses no threat to Polish farmers, Kachka says

Ukraine’s accession to the European Union does not pose a threat to farmers in Poland, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka said on Wednesday at the Deloitte Ukraine "Conductors of Change" forum.

"We are not seeking the funds that Polish or Hungarian farmers receive. We are not a threat to them. There are many fears and alarmist narratives, but the Ukrainian farmer, broadly speaking, is a driver of resilience and growth for the European agricultural sector. Our role is different from that of small farmers in Poland, France, or Spain. The task for Ukraine and the European Union is to integrate all of this into a coherent overall framework," he said.

"If we do this correctly — and all the prerequisites exist — then once Ukraine joins the European Union, both we and European agriculture will grow. Together we will become the most powerful player on global markets. These opportunities are currently overshadowed by fears and debates that are not really about Ukraine, but about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy," he added.

Kachka confirmed that 2028, previously announced as a target year, is "entirely realistic" for Ukraine to complete negotiations and sign an agreement on the terms of EU accession.

The subsequent timeline will depend on ratification.

• In 2024, Poland’s then-president Andrzej Duda said that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union would require a special agricultural policy due to the strength of its agricultural sector. Last year, another politician from the Law and Justice party, then-Minister of Agriculture Robert Telus, made a similar remark, saying that Ukraine’s EU entry would pose a challenge for European — including Polish — agriculture.