ІНСТИТУЦІЙНІ ТА СТРУКТУРНІ ЕФЕКТИ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ КОНКУРЕНТНИХ ПЕРЕВАГ УКРАЇНИ В КОНТЕКСТІ ІНТЕГРАЦІЇ ДО ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОГО СОЮЗУ

This article provides a comprehensive, multi-dimensional investigation into the institutional and structural effects shaping the realization of Ukraine’s competitive advantages within its European integration trajectory. The research is grounded in a robust analytical framework that dissects the critical «institutional vacuum» – the persistent gap between formal legislative alignment with the EU acquis communautaire and the tangible maturity of key economic sectors to capitalize on Single Market opportunities. Through a detailed sectoral analysis, the study quantifies the structural reserves and competitive potential of Ukraine’s core economies: the high-tech IT sector, the resource-rich agricultural complex, the industry undergoing Green Deal-driven modernization, and the strategically vital transport and logistics corridors. Empirical modelling, enriched by comparative benchmarking with the post-accession experiences of Central and Eastern European countries such as Poland, Romania, and Estonia, forms the core of the methodological approach. The findings robustly demonstrate that macroeconomic benefits and sustainable convergence with the EU are contingent upon a critical synergy between deep institutional reforms–enhancing regulatory capacity, rule of law, and governance quality–and profound structural transformations aimed at modernizing production, fostering innovation, and integrating into global value chains. The study meticulously assesses the triad of integration effects–trade expansion, investment attraction, and technology transfer–revealing their interconnected nature and cumulative impact on productivity and economic resilience. The conclusion underscores that transforming Ukraine into a regional IT hub and a leading EU agro-producer is an achievable yet non-automatic outcome, requiring a decisive shift from a reactive adaptation model to a proactive development strategy where every institutional reform is evaluated through the prism of its contribution to structural competitiveness and long-term national resilience.