See afterwards from EU Days Lund 2024: Building a competitive EU single market together with Ukraine

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The National Board of Trade Sweden arranged a seminar during EU Days Lund 2024. The event was organised by the City of Lund, Lund University, the European Commission Representation in Sweden, and Europe Direct Lund. Our Director-General Anders Ahnlid spoke about how Ukraine can contribute to a strong and competitive EU single market.

As our domestic market, the EU single market is a part of our everyday life. For 30 years, the single market, with its free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, has been the engine of EU's growth and employment. Today, it is the world's largest integrated market, accounting for 18 percent of global GDP, with 440 million citizens and consumers, and 23 million companies employing nearly 128 million people.

See afterwards

Watch the seminar on Youtube. The seminar starts at 01:35:26 into the broadcast.

Ukraine's integration into the EU was born out of a geopolitical necessity but will build on a revived and innovative accession methodology, focusing on gradual integration into the single market.

While this process is likely to take time and present some challenges, it also holds vast potential for mutual economic benefits. On the path to full membership and in line with the conditionality principle, the objective will be to facilitate progressive sectoral integration and deliver tangible benefits to operators in Ukraine, while preserving the integrity and coherence of the single market. At the same time, as a key global player in strategic economic sectors such as agriculture, energy, critical raw materials, and information and communications technology, Ukraine has the capacity to strengthen the EU's position and competitiveness on the global stage.

Speakers

  • Andrii Plakhotniuk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Sweden
  • Ambassador Elsa Håstad, Secretariat for the Recovery and Development of Ukraine, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
  • Jörgen Hettne, Director of the Centre for European Studies, Lund University
  • Anders Ahnlid, Director-General, National Board of Trade Sweden
  • Heidi Avellan, editor-in-chief, Sydsvenskan (moderator)

EU Days Lund is an annual open forum for dialogue and exchange of ideas concerning the future of Europe and Sweden. This year's forum took place on 16-17 September.

More about EU Days Lund 2024 at Lund´s kommun's website.