Ukraine’s agro-european integration: state policy and communications

<jats:p>A system of effective communications on the issues of Ukraine’s European integration can not only accelerate Ukraine’s acquisition of the status of a member state of the European Union, but also increase the efficiency of using this status by Ukrainian farmers and rural communities, and obtain new opportunities for development, which, in fact, is the expected effect of membership in the European Union. An analysis of existing documents was conducted, along with a survey of respondents whose activities relate to agribusiness and rural development. The survey results provide grounds to conclude that the vast majority of Ukrainians know little about the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. That is, they are not ready to operate in the new realities of Ukraine’s EU membership, where agribusiness is largely regulated by the norms of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. It seems appropriate to make adjustments to existing strategies, communication plans on the issues of Ukraine’s European integration and propose new ones to achieve not so much external effects – understanding and perception by the European community of processes in agriculture and rural areas of Ukraine, as to increase the level of awareness of Ukrainian citizens (primarily, we are talking about representatives of micro, small and medium-sized agricultural businesses, rural communities) about the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union in order to easily and quickly obtain the expected effects. This study can help state authorities and other interested parties adjust the communication policy on issues related to Ukraine’s European integration in the context of agricultural and rural development. Keywords: communication, communication strategy, EU Common Agricultural Policy, EU CAP, European integration, state policy, agricultural advisory service.</jats:p>