Competitiveness of Ukrainian economy under european integration

Abstract

Background. Trade and economic ties with the EU occupy a significant place in the international economic relations of Ukraine. The Association and free trade zone agreement in a priori should promote their growth and, in particular, increase the volume of Ukrainian exports to the EU. However, its volume not only didn’t increase, despite the unilateral preferences granted by the EU to Ukraine in 2015, and even declined. In such circumstances, the ideas of increasing of competitiveness of Ukraine on European markets become very relevant.
The analysis of the main researches and publications. Well-known foreign and domestic scientists paid attention to the essential character and features of manifestation of competitiveness. Despite the considerable amount of publications on these problems, profound and permanent transformation of the world economic system, which directly affect the essence and nature of economic competitions, causing deepening of researches on the theory and methodology of competition. However, the questions of the development of trade between countries in terms of competitive opportunities aren’t fully disclosed by scientists.
The aim of the research is to clarify the competitive opportunities of Ukraine on the basis of the assessment of the current state of trade relations with the EU and the theoretical and methodological analysis of the basic concepts of competition in terms of the transformational development of the global economy.
Materials and methods. The complex nature of the work is achieved via creative use and combination of general and specialized methods, including generalizing, analysis and synthesis, statistical analysis, system analysis.
Results. Stages of economic cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, starting from the moment of ratification of the Cooperation Agreement (1998) to the Association and Free Trade Area Agreement (2015) were researched. Herewith, the attention was paid to the research of trends of trade development between Ukraine and EU member states. The dynamics of changes in the volume of exports and imports for the indicated period, product structure and geographical priorities were analyzed. Positive and negative aspects of trade cooperation were disclosed, and also it was proved that the main problem of further development of trade between Ukraine and the EU is the low level of competitiveness of Ukrainian goods on the European market. On the basis of the analysis of the evolution of basic concepts of competition since the period of classical capitalism to modern information and innovative economy it was proved that Ukraine could successfully develop trade with EU countries, if its economy would be based on the modern concept of international competition.
Conclusion. In today’s globalized world, a country can be quite competitive, if its economic policy will be built on the principles of competitive advantages, the theoretical background of which is stationed above, namely the formation of the economy of innovative and informational nature. For Ukraine, this problem is the most urgent. Its solution is in provision of conditions that would promote the creation and development of innovational oriented structures, increase funds for scientific research conduction and introduction of innovative products from the side of leading corporations, promoting the active development and operation of the Small Innovation Business, involving to the creation of innovative infrastructure of leading scientific institutions and universities.