AGRICULTURAL POLICY OF UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION: STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

Introduction. The primary focus of reforming Ukraine's agricultural sector over the past decade has been aligning it with the goals of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The radical transformation of the national economy under martial law, specific challenges in the policy harmonization process, and the ongoing updates to the EU's CAP necessitate a systematic review and improvement of Ukraine's agricultural policy Purpose. The aim of this research is to justify the strategic directions of Ukraine's agricultural policy in the context of European integration. Materials and methods. The research is based on a systematic approach, which allowed for the integration of various factors influencing the formation and implementation of Ukraine's agricultural policy. The methods used to achieve the study's objective include deduction, historical analysis, abstraction, and general analysis. Results. The analysis of the formation and implementation of Ukraine's agricultural policy in the context of European integration revealed a fragmented approach to the harmonization processes of agricultural policies between Ukraine and the EU, as well as issues in harmonizing the regulatory environment. Limited state budget resources have resulted in significant lag in support levels for Ukrainian agricultural producers compared to the EU, indirectly contributing to increased concentration processes in this sector. It was found that a barrier to Ukraine gaining full EU membership is the European authorities' and agricultural producers' concerns about the significant costs of agricultural subsidies for Ukrainian farmers and intensified market competition. The study justifies directions for improving agricultural policy in the areas of strategy formation, stakeholder communication, review of implementation mechanisms and tools, organization of monitoring compliance with EU norms and practices, and the expected outcomes of their application in Ukraine. Discussion. The issues raised in this study require further research regarding the scientific and methodological justification of mechanisms for each of the proposed directions for improving Ukraine's agricultural policy.