On April 20, 2026, during a panel discussion on reforming competition legislation in the context of Ukraine’s integration into the EU and the OECD, a formal invitation letter from OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. The letter invites Ukraine to become an associate member of the OECD Competition Committee (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
During the event, Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka stated:
“This is a collective decision of all OECD member states, and therefore a recognition of the quality of Ukraine’s entire system for the protection of economic competition. It is extremely important also in the context of EU accession.”
SUP’s role in international cooperation
The Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs (SUP) participates in the OECD’s official business advisory body — Business at OECD (BIAC). SUP representatives are also involved in the BIAC Competition Committee, which works on shaping policies for fair competition in markets.
It is worth noting that Ukraine applied for OECD membership in July 2022. This is a key direction for the country’s recovery and development, as the OECD is often referred to as a “club of developed economies,” accounting for over 62% of global GDP.
Reform roadmap and next steps
In November 2023, the Government approved an Action Plan for implementing the OECD Programme for Ukraine, which includes 129 tasks to be completed in 2024–2027. Task No. 37 of the PLAN, “Deepening cooperation with the Competition Committee,” called for fulfilling the requirements for obtaining associate member status in the Competition Committee in 2024–2025.
Implementation of this Action Plan is a key instrument for Ukraine’s accession to the OECD. Moreover, the success of these reforms is a direct criterion for Ukraine’s EU accession and for assessing the country’s economic readiness