Most EBA member companies positively assess impact of Ukraine’s European integration movement on business

The impact of the European integration movement on the enterprise is positively assessed by 71% of the European Business Association (EBA) member companies, EBA Deputy Director Svitlana Mykhailovska said.

"Some 21% assess this impact as neutral and 8% as negative. It is also quite interesting that 95% are ready to work in the EU market, some 31% are already fully ready, according to their own assessment, 38% mostly, and 26% partially," she said during the presentation of the study at the conference "Ukraine on the Way to the EU" on Thursday.

According to information on the EBA website, some 83% of businesses are ready to participate in the formation of Ukraine's negotiating position on joining the EU.

As for the assessment of the overall progress in fulfilling Ukraine's European integration commitments, some 52% of respondents believe that it is satisfactory, and 5% significant. At the same time, the remaining 42% assess Ukraine's European integration efforts as insignificant, 2% believe that there is no progress.

Speaking about individual areas, the survey participants see the greatest progress in digital transformation and media (four points out of five possible), transport policy (3.07 points), agriculture and rural development (3.05 points).

"But our progress is assessed the worst in the direction of the judiciary and fundamental rights (1.71), justice, freedom and security (1.76), and this again brings us back to the need to focus on fundamental reforms, which are a prerequisite for any of our changes, transformations and European integration rights," Mykhailovska said.

According to survey participants, the best dialogue on European integration issues among government bodies is with the Cabinet of Ministers (2.92 points), followed by other central government bodies (2.81), the Verkhovna Rada (2.53 points) and local government bodies (2.46).

According to business, Ukraine's low institutional capacity (78%), including a lack of resources and professional personnel, insufficient expertise among government bodies (71%), the public and business, and a lack of political will (62%), impedes its faster implementation of European integration commitments.

Another 35% of respondents state that businesses do not have access to financial support instruments from EU funds, and 29% of respondents believe that information and technical support from the EU is insufficient.

According to 39% of survey participants, Ukraine will need five to ten years to become a full member of the EU. Another 30% believe that the country will be able to join the EU within the next five years, and 26% assume that it will take more than ten years.

The survey was conducted from June 25 to August 22, 2024 among member companies of the European Business Association. Of the surveyed companies, 59% supply goods or services to the EU market, 58% import goods or services from the EU market, 8% plan to enter the market.