Page 39 - UKRRptDec23

Over 60% of Ukrainians consider Ukraine's accession to the EU in less than 10 years as realistic, according to a recent survey conducted by the Razumkov Centre, European Pravda reported on November 10.
The majority of Ukrainians believe that "high levels of corruption" will be Ukraine’s main obstacle to accession to the EU, according to the survey. As bne IntelliNews reported, Ukraine has a corruption problem, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has made real inroads into tackling the problem.
Among the respondents, 20.6% believe that Ukraine can join the EU within two years. Another 19.9% expect accession in three to four years, while 14.3% anticipate it happening in five to six years. A smaller portion, 5.7%, foresee a timeline of seven to nine years for Ukraine's EU membership.
A mere 3.7% of polled Ukrainians think that Ukraine will become an EU member in 10-15 years, with 2% projecting a timeline exceeding 15 years. Additionally, 6.1% expressed the belief that Ukraine will never join the EU.
Approximately 28% of respondents either couldn't determine a specific timeline for Ukraine's EU accession or declined to answer the question.
A second major obstacle to Ukraine’s accession is the size and competitiveness of its agricultural sector. As bne IntelliNews has reported, Ukraine can’t join the EU until the Common Agricultural Policy is reformed. If the restrictions on the imports of Ukraine’s agricultural goods are lifted then they could swamp the EU market, as demonstrated by Poland’s decision to ban Ukrainian grain imports in April.
Regarding the major obstacles to Ukraine's accession to the EU, 51.7% of respondents identified high levels of corruption as the primary hindrance. The ongoing conflict with Russia was cited by 19% as a barrier, with 8% highlighting extensive infrastructure damage and the need for substantial investments.
Only 5.4% of respondents pointed to opposition from certain EU member states, such as Hungary, as a key obstacle. Another 3.7% attributed the delay to Europeans' reluctance to provoke Russia, while 1.2% focused on the EU's internal economic and political issues.
Only 2.3% and 0.6%, respectively, mentioned the lack of judiciary reforms and the insufficient level of democracy in Ukraine as hurdles to EU integration.
This week European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recommended EU member states initiate accession negotiations with Ukraine, contingent on Kyiv's implementation of further reforms.
Formal negotiations require approval from the EU on fulfilling specific criteria and the organization of an intergovernmental conference for the negotiation framework. Additionally, Ukrainian legislation must undergo scrutiny, and three more negotiation chapter reforms must be completed.
A recent study conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found the majority of Ukrainians anticipate an economic boom as soon as hostilities with Russia end.
Just over a fifth (21.2%) of Ukrainians believe that rapid economic growth, equivalent to 5-7% of GDP per year, will start within 1-2 years after the conclusion of the war with Russia. Additionally, just under half (48.5%) of respondents believe the boom will start 3-5 years after the end of the fighting.
39 UKRAINE Country Report December 2023 www.intellinews.com