On July 14, Oleksandr Haidu, Chair of the Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy, alongside the Committee’s Secretariat, held a working meeting with the leadership of the Danish Strategic Secretarial Cooperation (SSC) Project in the field of food and agriculture between Ukraine and Denmark, and representatives of the Embassy of Denmark in Ukraine.
The parties discussed joint projects and further key areas of cooperation, which will assist Ukraine implement European standards and strengthen institutional capacity of its agricultural sector, in particular, in the field of food safety, animal health and welfare, plant health, as well as support for sustainable agriculture. Denmark is one of the leaders in these fields and its experience regarding veterinary medicine, phytosanitary control, the fight against food fraud, and the greening of agricultural production are extremely valuable for Ukraine.
Oleksandr Haidu, Committee Chair, noted that since June 2022, when Ukraine was granted EU candidate status, harmonization of the Ukrainian legislation with European standards has become the primary hometask for both parliamentarians and the government. Agrarian policy, alongside food safety, plays one of the key roles in this process.
This legislative path toward EU standards has gained significant momentum thanks to the strategic cooperation launched in October 2023. This partnership was initiated by signing a Memorandum between the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA), alongside a Protocol between the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection and the DVFA. This cooperation is already yielding concrete, practical results.
At the same time, this nearly three-year cooperation is not limited merely to the exchange of experience, as best European practices are already being integrated into Ukrainian legislation and the work of state institutions. This is an important step toward Ukraine's European integration and increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian agricultural products.
Oleksandr Starynets, Head of the Committee’s Secretariat, outlined a crucial issue for further cooperation with the Danish Project, particularly regarding the study of Denmark's control system for the transboundary movement of food products of plant and animal origin across the EU border.
It was also noted that cooperation with Danish colleagues on legislative initiatives currently under consideration by the Committee is of great importance. Such cooperation can become an effective mechanism for the correct implementation of European standards and their subsequent application in the agricultural sector. For farmers, the implementation of European standards in the areas of food safety, animal health and welfare, and plant health is a highly sensitive issue, especially in the context of product exports.
The Committee is grateful to its Danish partners for their consistent support of Ukraine and their readiness to work together to develop a modern, safe, and sustainable agricultural sector. Partnerships like this help drive quality reforms and bring Ukraine closer to European Union membership.
The meeting was also attended by Camilla Brash Andersen, SSC Project Manager in Ukraine and Chief Consultant of the International Cooperation Division of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA); Anette Haurum, SSC Project Manager in Ukraine and Special Consultant of the International Cooperation Division of the DVFA; Paul Jacob Erikstrup, Counsellor for Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries at the Embassy of Denmark in Ukraine; Oleh Osiyan, First Deputy Chairman of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection; and Ihor Lotskin, Director of the Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection.