Ukraine and the European Union
Encyclopedia
Relations between Ukraine
and the European Union
(EU) are currently shaped via the European Neighbourhood Policy
(ENP), a foreign policy instrument of the EU designed for the countries it borders.
The European Union
(EU) is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Ukraine
, going beyond cooperation, to gradual economic integration and deepening of political cooperation. Ukraine is said to be a priority partner within the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP).
records as well as on issues connected to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
and its containment.
sources: http://europa.eu.int/comm/world/enp/pdf/050523_extra_update_faq.pdf, http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1467&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en, ENP official page http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm
A Joint EU–Ukraine Action Plan was endorsed by the European Council on 21 February 2005. It was based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 and provided, according to the European Commission, a comprehensive and ambitious framework for joint work with Ukraine in all key areas of reform.
between Ukraine and the European Union started on 18 February 2008 between the Ukrainian government and the EU Trade Commissioner
. As of May 2011 there remained three outstanding issues to be resolved in the free trade deal; quotas on Ukrainian grain exports, access to the EU's services market and geographical names of Ukrainian commodities. Aside from these issues, the deal is ready. Despite those outstanding issues, Ukraine is ready to sign the agreement as it stands. Although it wants stronger wording on enlargement prospects and access to the EU market for its truckers, Ukraine has more than many other candidates had at the equivalent stage of the process. It is expected that the deal would be signed in December 2011.
On November 22, 2010 the European Council
and Ukraine announced "an action plan for Ukraine toward the establishment of a visa-free regime for short-stay travel". This roadmap requests major improvements in Ukrainian border control, migration and asylum policies.
(ECT), a legally-binding treaty negotiated following the 1991 Energy Charter political declaration of principles for international energy including trade, transit and investment. The ECT was signed in December 1994 and came into effect in April 1998. Ukraine and all EU member states are also signatories of the 1998 Trade Amendment reflecting the change from the GATT
to the WTO
.
Since its signature in 2005, Ukraine is member of the Energy Community
(also referred as European Energy Community), a community established between the European Union
(EU) and a number of third countries in order to extend the EU internal energy market
to South East Europe and beyond. The Treaty establishing the Energy Community was signed in Athens
, Greece
, on 25 October 2005, and entered into force on 1 July 2006. Ratification by Ukraine took time and finally followed on 15 December 2010.
, the Netherlands
and Italy
remained major trading partners of Ukraine.
According to Eurostat
, between 2000 and 2007 EU trade in goods with Ukraine more than tripled in value: exports rose from 5.5 bn Euro
to 22.4 bn, while imports increased from 4.8 bn Euro to 12.4 bn. Nevertheless, this increase didn't make Ukraine one of the EU's major trading partners. In 2007, Ukraine accounted for only 2% of EU exports and a mere 1% of European Union imports which is toward the bottom of the EU's top 20 trading partners (16th).
According to the European commission paper, trade with Ukraine is dominated by manufactured goods. Nearly half of the EU exports to Ukraine in 2007 were machinery and vehicles and a further quarter were other manufactured articles. A quite similar structure can be seen in imports: unspecified manufactured articles accounted for two fifths followed by a crude metal for a further fifth. At the more detailed level, the main EU exports to Ukraine in 2007 were medicine, motor vehicles and mobile phones, while the main imports were iron and steel products, as well as sunflower seed oil, ferro-nickel, iron ores and oil.
Among the EU27 Members States, Germany
(5.9 bn Euro or 26% of EU exports) was the largest exporter, followed by Poland
(4.1 bn or 18%). Italy
(2.4 bn or 19%) was the largest importer followed by Bulgaria
(1.6 bn or 13%) and Germany (1.3 bn or 11%).
The largest surpluses in trade with Ukraine in 2007 were observed in Germany (+ 4.6 bn Euro) and Poland (+2.8 bn Euro) while Bulgaria scored the highest deficit ( -1.4 bn Euro)
Source: European Commission/Eurostat paper issued before September 9 EU-Ukraine summit in Paris
.
for the 11 CIS
countries and Georgia
.
For the 2007-2013 budgetary period, ENPI, standing for "European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument", covers the ENP countries, and replacing the TACIS funds for Ukraine. Ukraine is moreover eligible for horizontal instruments, that cover countries regardless of their region, such as:
to the World Trade Organization
, economic relations between the EU and Ukraine have to respect the WTO normative acquis.
). Also, some experts notice the importance of the Russia
n factor in Ukraine-EU relations.
Ukraine's desire to join the European institutions dates back to 1994 when the government declared that integration to the EU is the main foreign policy objective. In reality, little was done since Kiev had to take into account Russia, which remained its major trade partner and natural gas and fossil energy supplier.
The political dialogue between the EU and Ukraine started in 1994 when the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was signed. That document was focused on economic and social issues as well as on the necessity of improving public government and guaranteeing free press and civil rights. The framework set for political discussions was modest: yearly meeting between EU Troika and Ukrainian leadership and some inter ministerial consultations. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 entered into force in 1998 and expired in 2008. None of top level meetings brought major changes to a reserved EU approach. Leaders focused chiefly on economic transition and human rights
records as well as on issues connected to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
and its containment.
In 2002, EU Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen
said that "a European perspective" for Ukraine
does not necessarily mean membership within 10 to 20 years; however, it is a possibility.
of late 2004 improved Ukraine's European prospects; the opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko
hinted that he would press the EU for deeper ties and described a four-point plan: acknowledgment of Ukraine as a market economy, entry in the World Trade Organization
, associate membership in the European Union, and, finally, full membership. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko asked Brussels
mid-December 2004 for a clearer indication of Ukraine's prospects for membership, saying that "The approved Action Plan reflects only the level of Ukraine-EU relations that we could have reached before the presidential elections in 2004
."
On 13 January 2005, the European Parliament
almost unanimously (467 votes to 19 in favor) passed a motion
stating the wish of the European Parliament to establish closer ties with Ukraine in view of the possibility of EU membership. Though there is still a long way to go before negotiations about EU membership can start, the European Commission
has stated that future EU membership will not be ruled out. Yushchenko has responded to the apathetic mood of the Commission by stating that he intends to send an application for EU membership "in the near future" and that he intends to scrutinize Ukraine's relationship with the Commonwealth of Independent States
in order to assure that EU integration is possible, and, if not, to make it possible. Several EU leaders have already stated strong support for closer economic ties with Ukraine, but have stopped short of direct support for such a bid.
On 21 March 2005, Polish
Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld
noted that Poland will, in every way, promote Ukraine's desire to be integrated with the EU, achieve the status of a market-economy country, and join the World Trade Organization
. He also said, "At the present moment, we should talk concrete steps in cooperation instead of engaging in empty talk about European integration". Three days later, a poll of the six largest EU nations conducted by a French research company showed that the European public would be more likely to accept Ukraine as a future EU member than any other country that is not currently an official candidate.
In October 2005, Commission president José Manuel Barroso said that the future of Ukraine is in the EU. On 9 November 2005, however, the European Commission in a new strategy paper suggested that the current enlargement agenda (Croatia
and in the future the other ex-Yugoslavia
n countries) could block the possibility of a future accession of Ukraine, Armenia
, Belarus
, Georgia
, and Moldova
. Commissioner Olli Rehn
said that the EU should avoid overexpansion, adding that the current enlargement agenda is already quite full.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, the ENP is not an adequate political instrument, since joining the EU was one of principal objectives of all governments since 1994. After the Orange revolution
of 2004 that brought to power Viktor Yushchenko
, the EU commission was very slow to react: little progress was made to put the largest European country on a path to eventual membership.
Days before the summit, the Ministers of foreign affairs of Member States agreed during their meeting in Avignon (France) that association agreement to be signed with Ukraine will have nothing to do with the association agreements the EU signed with many Eastern European States (from Poland to Romania in the beginning of the 1990s, Western Balkans by the end of the 1990s). Media reported that the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany were strongly opposed to including "Ukraine is a European State" into EU legally binding documents. This was considered a failure of Kuchma-era politician Mr. Roman Shpek, then Ukrainian ambassador to Brussels. He was replaced by Mr. A. Veselovskyy, a more experienced diplomat.
A Joint EU–Ukraine Action Plan was endorsed by the European Council on 21 February 2005. It was based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 and provided, according to the European Commission, a comprehensive and ambitious framework for joint of work with Ukraine in all key areas of reform.
Talks on a free trade agreement
between Ukraine and the European Union started on 18 February 2008 between the Ukrainian government and the EU Trade Commissioner
.
On 22 July 2008, it was announced that a "Stabilisation and Association
" -type agreement would be signed between Ukraine and the EU on 8 September 2008 in Evian
.
suggested earlier by Polish and Swedish Foreign Ministers.
On 20–24 October 2008 the EU and Ukraine held a negotiation round on the free trade area chapter of the Association agreement. According to some Ukrainian media, the "EU promised to liberalize trade relations". Ukraine's representative told that one must not "focus too much" on negotiation since there is a lot to be done by Ukrainian government to meet certain criteria. He also said, that "soon, the Balkans will enter into the European trade space and therefore Ukraine might lose these markets". This was seen as a reason for Ukraine to move forward as least as soon as Balkans, the EU did not comment on that perception.
On October 29, 2008 the EU Commissioner Jacques Barrot and Ukrainian officials met in Brussels
to launch negotiations on visa-free travel. Kiev had been asking for a "road map" to visa lifting including travel document security, irregular migration, public order and foreign relations. But the EU justice commissioner avoided to give any specific dates. Moreover, the Ukrainian side argued that 2007 visa facilitation agreement is not fully implemented by the EU member states. The European Commission representative was quoted as saying that Brussels is ready to impose sanctions against those who do not respect the agreement. Spanish
, Dutch
, German
and Belgian
Embassies were cited among the most active rule breakers. Making visa processing lengthy and expensive is one of major agreement violation. On 28 October 2008 Belgian PM Yves Leterme
told that Ukrainians need to avoid middlemen in visa procedures if they want to reduce their cost. The problem is that some consulates, including Belgian, oblige visa seekers to deal with a middleman.
According to Ukrainian President Yushchenko some embassies of EU countries often require Ukrainians to present documents, which had not been foreseen in the agreement on simplification of visa regulations. Around five per cent of Ukrainians willing to travel to the EU are denied visas, which, according to Yushchenko "does not meet the standards of our agreements with the EU".
On June 16, 2009, a new practical instrument was adopted - the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda.
In September 2009, high-ranking Ukrainian diplomats proposed that Ukraine apply for EU membership after the presidential election
in January 2010, around March 2010, which would mean that the official response to the application would likely take place in early 2011 during the Polish presidency of the European Union. However, this hasn't happened.
On October 5, 2009 Head of the Verkhovna Rada
committee for European integration Borys Tarasyuk
commented "the EU see the implementation of a free visa regime for Ukrainians travelling to EU countries only as a long-term prospect". Ukrainian politicians continue to insist that the implementation of that free visa regime take place by 2012, when the European Football Championship will be held in Ukraine and Poland
. According to Tarasyuk, the main obstacles to the implementation of a free visa regime between Ukraine and EU is the fact that Ukraine "hasn't finished its work on legislation concerning forming a demographic [database], which then could become a good basis for issuing biometric passports" and the fact that there is no general database on the issuing of foreign passports to Ukrainian citizens. According to Tarasyuk the EU fear that this grants the opportunity for mass falsification.
On December 16, 2009 the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stated "our Ukrainian friends need to do more if they want us to help them more." He also stated that "enlargement is not possible in the current situation."
is expected to establish. However, Kiev pointed out that it remains pessimistic about the "added value" of this initiative. Indeed, Ukraine and the EU have already started the negotiations on new, enhanced political and free-trade agreements (Association and Free-Trade Agreements). Also, there has been some progress in liberalizing the visa regime despite persistent problems in the EU Member States' visa approach towards Ukrainians.
That is why Ukraine has a specific view of the Eastern Partnership project. According to the Ukrainian presidency, it should correspond, in case of his country, to the strategic foreign policy objective, i.e. the integration with the EU. Yet, the Eastern Partership documents (the European Council Declaration of May 2009) do not confirm such priorities as political and economic integration or lifting visas.
Ukraine has expressed enthusiasm about the project. Ukraine deputy premier Hryhoriy Nemyria
said that the project is the way to modernise the country and that they welcome the Eastern Partnership policy, because it uses 'de facto' the same instruments as for EU candidates
.
Under the Eastern Partnership, Poland and Ukraine have reached a new agreement replacing visas with simplified permits for Ukrainians residing within 30 km of the border. Up to 1.5 million people may benefit from this agreement which took effect on July 1, 2009.
promised to adopt in June 2010 the legislation necessary for creating a free trade zone between Ukraine and the European Union. Yanukovych expected visas between Ukraine and EU member states to be abolished and that a free trade zone
will be created by March 2011.
The current Azarov Government
continues to pursue EU-integration. During May and June 2010 both Prime Minister
Mykola Azarov
and Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Kostyantyn Hryshchenko stated that integration into Europe has been and remains the priority of domestic and foreign policy of Ukraine.
The policies of the Azarov Government
do not exclude EU integration, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Štefan Füle
stated on May 12, 2010.
"An action plan for Ukraine toward the establishment of a visa-free regime for short-stay travel" between the European Council
and Ukraine was agreed on November 22, 2010. This roadmap requests major improvements in Ukrainian border control, migration and asylum policies.
Attempts to change the French constitution are currently being attempted in order to remove the compulsory referendum on all EU accessions after Croatia resulted in a new clause requiring compulsory referendums on the accession of all countries with a population of more than 5% of the EU's total population; this clause would apply to Ukraine and Turkey.
On 4 June 2009 some media outlets reported that Germany's Free Democratic Party
openly stated in its programme that Ukraine has the right for the EU membership in the long term. This was the first major German political party to state this.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton warned Ukraine that although the talks on the Association Agreement with Ukraine would continue, the ratification process of this treaty "will face problems if there is no reversal in the approach of Ukrainian authorities" towards the trial of former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko
. This association agreement has to be ratified by all member states and the European Parliament
for the document to take effect. The sentencing of Yulia Tymoshenko to seven years in prison on October 11, 2011 (an appeal
is currently pending) was met with national and international protest and threatens Ukraine–European Union relations.
was found to be generally more enthusiastic than Eastern Ukraine, but in most regions a majority thought their lives would improve faster if their country were inside the EU. A 2009 poll indicated 20 to 34% support from the Ukrainian people for membership. As of December 2008 44.7% of all Ukrainians find it necessary for Ukraine to enter the European Union and 35.2% see no necessity in Ukraine's entering the EU. In May 2010 53% of Ukrainians older than 16 would like their country to join the European Union in the future. Citizens aged between 20-39 and residents of Central and Western Ukraine appeared to be the strongest supporters of joining the EU.
Ukraine's EU ambassador, Kostyantyn Yeliseyev, notes that business tycoons and politicians from Ukraine's Russian east as much pro-EU as the west of the country: "If any politician today in Ukraine declared himself to be against European integration, he would be politically dead."
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) are currently shaped via the European Neighbourhood Policy
European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the EU into the EU...
(ENP), a foreign policy instrument of the EU designed for the countries it borders.
The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, going beyond cooperation, to gradual economic integration and deepening of political cooperation. Ukraine is said to be a priority partner within the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP).
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (1994)
The political dialogue between the EU and Ukraine started in 1994 when the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was signed. That document was focused on economic and social issues as well as on the necessity of improving public government and guaranteeing free press and civil rights. The framework set for political discussions was modest: yearly meeting between EU Troika and Ukrainian leadership and some inter ministerial consultations. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 entered into force in 1998 and expired in 2008. None of the top level meetings brought any major changes to a reserved EU approach. Leaders focused chiefly on economic transition and human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
records as well as on issues connected to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant or Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant is a decommissioned nuclear power station near the city of Pripyat, Ukraine, northwest of the city of Chernobyl, from the Ukraine–Belarus border, and about north of Kiev. Reactor 4 was the site of the Chernobyl disaster in...
and its containment.
European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
| ENP partner |
EU contract European Union Association Agreement A European Union Association Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links... |
FTA provisions | Country Report | Action Plan | Adoption by the EU | Adoption by the ENP partner | AP duration | CFSP invitation | EU aspiration | Sub-group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... |
PCA, March 1998 | No | May 2004 | End 2004 | 21.2.2005 | 21.2.2005 | 3 years | Yes | Yes | East Eastern Partnership The Eastern Partnership is a project which was initiated by the European Union . It was presented by the foreign minister of Poland with assistance from Sweden at a the EU's General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 26 May 2008... |
sources: http://europa.eu.int/comm/world/enp/pdf/050523_extra_update_faq.pdf, http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1467&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en, ENP official page http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm
A Joint EU–Ukraine Action Plan was endorsed by the European Council on 21 February 2005. It was based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 and provided, according to the European Commission, a comprehensive and ambitious framework for joint work with Ukraine in all key areas of reform.
Negotiations of an Association Agreement (AA)
Association Agenda (2009)
On June 16, 2009, a new practical instrument was adopted - the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda.Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA)
Negotiations on a deep and comprehensive free trade agreementFree trade area
A free trade area is a trade bloc whose member countries have signed a free trade agreement , which eliminates tariffs, import quotas, and preferences on most goods and services traded between them. If people are also free to move between the countries, in addition to FTA, it would also be...
between Ukraine and the European Union started on 18 February 2008 between the Ukrainian government and the EU Trade Commissioner
European Commissioner for Trade
The European Commissioner for Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union's common commercial policy...
. As of May 2011 there remained three outstanding issues to be resolved in the free trade deal; quotas on Ukrainian grain exports, access to the EU's services market and geographical names of Ukrainian commodities. Aside from these issues, the deal is ready. Despite those outstanding issues, Ukraine is ready to sign the agreement as it stands. Although it wants stronger wording on enlargement prospects and access to the EU market for its truckers, Ukraine has more than many other candidates had at the equivalent stage of the process. It is expected that the deal would be signed in December 2011.
Visa Liberalization Dialogue
- 2006 Readmission Agreement
- 2007 Visa Facilitation Agreement
- 2010 Visa Liberalization Action Plan
On November 22, 2010 the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
and Ukraine announced "an action plan for Ukraine toward the establishment of a visa-free regime for short-stay travel". This roadmap requests major improvements in Ukrainian border control, migration and asylum policies.
Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Community
Both Ukraine and all EU member states are signatories of the Energy Charter TreatyEnergy Charter Treaty
The Energy Charter Treaty is an international agreement which provides a multilateral framework for energy trade, transit and investments...
(ECT), a legally-binding treaty negotiated following the 1991 Energy Charter political declaration of principles for international energy including trade, transit and investment. The ECT was signed in December 1994 and came into effect in April 1998. Ukraine and all EU member states are also signatories of the 1998 Trade Amendment reflecting the change from the GATT
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
to the WTO
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
.
Since its signature in 2005, Ukraine is member of the Energy Community
Energy Community
The Energy Community is a community established between the European Union and a number of third countries in order to extend the EU internal energy market to Southeast Europe and beyond...
(also referred as European Energy Community), a community established between the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) and a number of third countries in order to extend the EU internal energy market
Energy policy of the European Union
Although the European Union has legislated in the area of energy policy for many years, and evolved out of the European Coal and Steel Community, the concept of introducing a mandatory and comprehensive European energy policy was only approved at the meeting of the European Council on 27 October...
to South East Europe and beyond. The Treaty establishing the Energy Community was signed in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, on 25 October 2005, and entered into force on 1 July 2006. Ratification by Ukraine took time and finally followed on 15 December 2010.
Economic relations
During the 1990s, GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
remained major trading partners of Ukraine.
According to Eurostat
Eurostat
Eurostat is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in Luxembourg. Its main responsibilities are to provide the European Union with statistical information at European level and to promote the integration of statistical methods across the Member States of the European Union,...
, between 2000 and 2007 EU trade in goods with Ukraine more than tripled in value: exports rose from 5.5 bn Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
to 22.4 bn, while imports increased from 4.8 bn Euro to 12.4 bn. Nevertheless, this increase didn't make Ukraine one of the EU's major trading partners. In 2007, Ukraine accounted for only 2% of EU exports and a mere 1% of European Union imports which is toward the bottom of the EU's top 20 trading partners (16th).
According to the European commission paper, trade with Ukraine is dominated by manufactured goods. Nearly half of the EU exports to Ukraine in 2007 were machinery and vehicles and a further quarter were other manufactured articles. A quite similar structure can be seen in imports: unspecified manufactured articles accounted for two fifths followed by a crude metal for a further fifth. At the more detailed level, the main EU exports to Ukraine in 2007 were medicine, motor vehicles and mobile phones, while the main imports were iron and steel products, as well as sunflower seed oil, ferro-nickel, iron ores and oil.
Among the EU27 Members States, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(5.9 bn Euro or 26% of EU exports) was the largest exporter, followed by Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(4.1 bn or 18%). Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(2.4 bn or 19%) was the largest importer followed by Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
(1.6 bn or 13%) and Germany (1.3 bn or 11%).
The largest surpluses in trade with Ukraine in 2007 were observed in Germany (+ 4.6 bn Euro) and Poland (+2.8 bn Euro) while Bulgaria scored the highest deficit ( -1.4 bn Euro)
Source: European Commission/Eurostat paper issued before September 9 EU-Ukraine summit in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
EU Financial Assistance to Ukraine
For the 2000–2006 budgetary period, the financial assistance of the EU to Ukraine was framed in the TACIS programme, established in 1991, a programme of technical assistance that supports the process of transition to market economiesMarket economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
for the 11 CIS
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
countries and Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
For the 2007-2013 budgetary period, ENPI, standing for "European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument", covers the ENP countries, and replacing the TACIS funds for Ukraine. Ukraine is moreover eligible for horizontal instruments, that cover countries regardless of their region, such as:
- the Instrument for StabilityInstrument for StabilityThe Instrument for Stability is a financial and political instrument at the disposal of the European Union. It is prepared at strategic level by the EEAS and implemented by the Commission...
, a new instrument to tackle crises and instability in third countries and address trans-border challenges including nuclear safetyNuclear safetyNuclear safety covers the actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences. This covers nuclear power plants as well as all other nuclear facilities, the transportation of nuclear materials, and the use and storage of nuclear materials for medical, power,...
and non-proliferation, the fight against trafficking, organised crime and terrorism; - the Macro FinancialMacroeconomicsMacroeconomics is a branch of economics dealing with the performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of the whole economy. This includes a national, regional, or global economy...
Assistance
WTO membership of Ukraine (2009)
Since 2009, with the accession of UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
to the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
, economic relations between the EU and Ukraine have to respect the WTO normative acquis.
Early relations
Ukraine has always been seen as an important but uneasy to deal with political partner of the European Union. According to observers this is due to such factors as unwillingness of the EU to expand to the post-Soviet space, poor performance of Ukrainian economy, lack of democracy (during the 1990s) or internal instability (following the Orange revolutionOrange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
). Also, some experts notice the importance of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n factor in Ukraine-EU relations.
Ukraine's desire to join the European institutions dates back to 1994 when the government declared that integration to the EU is the main foreign policy objective. In reality, little was done since Kiev had to take into account Russia, which remained its major trade partner and natural gas and fossil energy supplier.
The political dialogue between the EU and Ukraine started in 1994 when the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was signed. That document was focused on economic and social issues as well as on the necessity of improving public government and guaranteeing free press and civil rights. The framework set for political discussions was modest: yearly meeting between EU Troika and Ukrainian leadership and some inter ministerial consultations. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 entered into force in 1998 and expired in 2008. None of top level meetings brought major changes to a reserved EU approach. Leaders focused chiefly on economic transition and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
records as well as on issues connected to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant or Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant is a decommissioned nuclear power station near the city of Pripyat, Ukraine, northwest of the city of Chernobyl, from the Ukraine–Belarus border, and about north of Kiev. Reactor 4 was the site of the Chernobyl disaster in...
and its containment.
In 2002, EU Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen
Günter Verheugen
-Erler:At around the same time, photographs appeared showing him holidaying with Petra Erler, the head of his private office. A Commission spokesman backed him by saying "the private holidays of Vice President Verheugen in Lithuania this summer did not violate the rules applicable to members of the...
said that "a European perspective" for Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
does not necessarily mean membership within 10 to 20 years; however, it is a possibility.
Post-Orange Revolution relations
The Orange RevolutionOrange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
of late 2004 improved Ukraine's European prospects; the opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
hinted that he would press the EU for deeper ties and described a four-point plan: acknowledgment of Ukraine as a market economy, entry in the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
, associate membership in the European Union, and, finally, full membership. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko asked Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
mid-December 2004 for a clearer indication of Ukraine's prospects for membership, saying that "The approved Action Plan reflects only the level of Ukraine-EU relations that we could have reached before the presidential elections in 2004
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union...
."
On 13 January 2005, the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
almost unanimously (467 votes to 19 in favor) passed a motion
Motion (democracy)
A motion is a formal step to introduce a matter for consideration by a group. It is a common concept in the procedure of trade unions, students' unions, corporations, and other deliberative assemblies...
stating the wish of the European Parliament to establish closer ties with Ukraine in view of the possibility of EU membership. Though there is still a long way to go before negotiations about EU membership can start, the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
has stated that future EU membership will not be ruled out. Yushchenko has responded to the apathetic mood of the Commission by stating that he intends to send an application for EU membership "in the near future" and that he intends to scrutinize Ukraine's relationship with the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
in order to assure that EU integration is possible, and, if not, to make it possible. Several EU leaders have already stated strong support for closer economic ties with Ukraine, but have stopped short of direct support for such a bid.
On 21 March 2005, Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld
Adam Daniel Rotfeld
Adam Daniel Rotfeld is a Polish researcher, diplomat, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland from 5 January 2005 until 31 October 2005 when a change of government took place. He served earlier as the deputy foreign minister...
noted that Poland will, in every way, promote Ukraine's desire to be integrated with the EU, achieve the status of a market-economy country, and join the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
. He also said, "At the present moment, we should talk concrete steps in cooperation instead of engaging in empty talk about European integration". Three days later, a poll of the six largest EU nations conducted by a French research company showed that the European public would be more likely to accept Ukraine as a future EU member than any other country that is not currently an official candidate.
In October 2005, Commission president José Manuel Barroso said that the future of Ukraine is in the EU. On 9 November 2005, however, the European Commission in a new strategy paper suggested that the current enlargement agenda (Croatia
Accession of Croatia to the European Union
Croatia applied for European Union membership in 2003, and the European Commission recommended making it an official candidate in early 2004. Candidate country status was granted to Croatia by the European Council in mid-2004...
and in the future the other ex-Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n countries) could block the possibility of a future accession of Ukraine, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, and Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
. Commissioner Olli Rehn
Olli Rehn
Olli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs. He had previously served as Commissioner for Enlargement...
said that the EU should avoid overexpansion, adding that the current enlargement agenda is already quite full.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, the ENP is not an adequate political instrument, since joining the EU was one of principal objectives of all governments since 1994. After the Orange revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
of 2004 that brought to power Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
, the EU commission was very slow to react: little progress was made to put the largest European country on a path to eventual membership.
Association negotiations
In March 2007, the EU and Ukraine started talks about a new "wider agreement," aiming at offering a legal framework for a closer economic cooperation and a better political dialogue. It was agreed that Ukraine and the EU would start a parallel negotiation concerning setting up a free trade area. Later in 2007 it was announced that this issue would be incorporated into the draft agreement as a separate chapter.Days before the summit, the Ministers of foreign affairs of Member States agreed during their meeting in Avignon (France) that association agreement to be signed with Ukraine will have nothing to do with the association agreements the EU signed with many Eastern European States (from Poland to Romania in the beginning of the 1990s, Western Balkans by the end of the 1990s). Media reported that the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany were strongly opposed to including "Ukraine is a European State" into EU legally binding documents. This was considered a failure of Kuchma-era politician Mr. Roman Shpek, then Ukrainian ambassador to Brussels. He was replaced by Mr. A. Veselovskyy, a more experienced diplomat.
A Joint EU–Ukraine Action Plan was endorsed by the European Council on 21 February 2005. It was based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 and provided, according to the European Commission, a comprehensive and ambitious framework for joint of work with Ukraine in all key areas of reform.
Talks on a free trade agreement
Free trade area
A free trade area is a trade bloc whose member countries have signed a free trade agreement , which eliminates tariffs, import quotas, and preferences on most goods and services traded between them. If people are also free to move between the countries, in addition to FTA, it would also be...
between Ukraine and the European Union started on 18 February 2008 between the Ukrainian government and the EU Trade Commissioner
European Commissioner for Trade
The European Commissioner for Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union's common commercial policy...
.
On 22 July 2008, it was announced that a "Stabilisation and Association
Stabilisation and Association process
In talks with countries who have expressed a wish to join the European Union, the EU typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in that country...
" -type agreement would be signed between Ukraine and the EU on 8 September 2008 in Evian
Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains or Évian is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France...
.
Second Tymoshenko Government
On 2 October 2008 Ukraine President Yushchenko announced that the Association agreement between the country and the EU would be signed "within six-eight months". On that day he met with the King of Sweden Charles XVI Gustav who paid a State visit to Kiev. According to Yushchenko "the agreement is half-ready, and he hopes that there will be a possibility to finalize and sign it under Swedish presidency in the EU". He also welcomed the initiative of Eastern PartnershipEastern Partnership
The Eastern Partnership is a project which was initiated by the European Union . It was presented by the foreign minister of Poland with assistance from Sweden at a the EU's General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 26 May 2008...
suggested earlier by Polish and Swedish Foreign Ministers.
On October 29, 2008 the EU Commissioner Jacques Barrot and Ukrainian officials met in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
to launch negotiations on visa-free travel. Kiev had been asking for a "road map" to visa lifting including travel document security, irregular migration, public order and foreign relations. But the EU justice commissioner avoided to give any specific dates. Moreover, the Ukrainian side argued that 2007 visa facilitation agreement is not fully implemented by the EU member states. The European Commission representative was quoted as saying that Brussels is ready to impose sanctions against those who do not respect the agreement. Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Embassies were cited among the most active rule breakers. Making visa processing lengthy and expensive is one of major agreement violation. On 28 October 2008 Belgian PM Yves Leterme
Yves Leterme
Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
told that Ukrainians need to avoid middlemen in visa procedures if they want to reduce their cost. The problem is that some consulates, including Belgian, oblige visa seekers to deal with a middleman.
According to Ukrainian President Yushchenko some embassies of EU countries often require Ukrainians to present documents, which had not been foreseen in the agreement on simplification of visa regulations. Around five per cent of Ukrainians willing to travel to the EU are denied visas, which, according to Yushchenko "does not meet the standards of our agreements with the EU".
On June 16, 2009, a new practical instrument was adopted - the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda.
In September 2009, high-ranking Ukrainian diplomats proposed that Ukraine apply for EU membership after the presidential election
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010...
in January 2010, around March 2010, which would mean that the official response to the application would likely take place in early 2011 during the Polish presidency of the European Union. However, this hasn't happened.
On October 5, 2009 Head of the Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
committee for European integration Borys Tarasyuk
Borys Tarasyuk
Borys Ivanovych Tarasyuk is a Ukrainian politician. He has twice served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. He is from Zhytomyr Oblast. Tarasyuk studied international relations and international law at National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, and graduated in 1975...
commented "the EU see the implementation of a free visa regime for Ukrainians travelling to EU countries only as a long-term prospect". Ukrainian politicians continue to insist that the implementation of that free visa regime take place by 2012, when the European Football Championship will be held in Ukraine and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. According to Tarasyuk, the main obstacles to the implementation of a free visa regime between Ukraine and EU is the fact that Ukraine "hasn't finished its work on legislation concerning forming a demographic [database], which then could become a good basis for issuing biometric passports" and the fact that there is no general database on the issuing of foreign passports to Ukrainian citizens. According to Tarasyuk the EU fear that this grants the opportunity for mass falsification.
On December 16, 2009 the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stated "our Ukrainian friends need to do more if they want us to help them more." He also stated that "enlargement is not possible in the current situation."
Eastern Partnership (2009)
Ukraine is one of six post-Soviet nations to be invited to cooperate with the EU within the new multilatural framework that the Eastern partnershipEastern Partnership
The Eastern Partnership is a project which was initiated by the European Union . It was presented by the foreign minister of Poland with assistance from Sweden at a the EU's General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 26 May 2008...
is expected to establish. However, Kiev pointed out that it remains pessimistic about the "added value" of this initiative. Indeed, Ukraine and the EU have already started the negotiations on new, enhanced political and free-trade agreements (Association and Free-Trade Agreements). Also, there has been some progress in liberalizing the visa regime despite persistent problems in the EU Member States' visa approach towards Ukrainians.
That is why Ukraine has a specific view of the Eastern Partnership project. According to the Ukrainian presidency, it should correspond, in case of his country, to the strategic foreign policy objective, i.e. the integration with the EU. Yet, the Eastern Partership documents (the European Council Declaration of May 2009) do not confirm such priorities as political and economic integration or lifting visas.
Ukraine has expressed enthusiasm about the project. Ukraine deputy premier Hryhoriy Nemyria
Hryhoriy Nemyria
Hryhoriy Nemyria was born on 5 April 1960 in Donetsk, Ukraine. He was a historian of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and a Ukrainian politician within the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.-Family:Nemyria was the son of Michael and Tamara Nemyria...
said that the project is the way to modernise the country and that they welcome the Eastern Partnership policy, because it uses 'de facto' the same instruments as for EU candidates
Future enlargement of the European Union
The future enlargement of the European Union is theoretically open to any European country which is democratic, operates a free market and is willing and able to implement all previous European Union law...
.
Under the Eastern Partnership, Poland and Ukraine have reached a new agreement replacing visas with simplified permits for Ukrainians residing within 30 km of the border. Up to 1.5 million people may benefit from this agreement which took effect on July 1, 2009.
Viktor Yanukovych Presidency
In May 2010 President Viktor YanukovychViktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
promised to adopt in June 2010 the legislation necessary for creating a free trade zone between Ukraine and the European Union. Yanukovych expected visas between Ukraine and EU member states to be abolished and that a free trade zone
Free trade zone
A free trade zone or export processing zone , also called foreign-trade zone, formerly free port is an area within which goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured, and reexported without the intervention of the customs authorities...
will be created by March 2011.
The current Azarov Government
Azarov Government
The first Azarov Government was appointed on March 11, 2010 as part of the "Stability and Reform" coalition between the Party of Regions, Lytvyn Bloc and the Communist Party of Ukraine in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament...
continues to pursue EU-integration. During May and June 2010 both Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
Mykola Azarov
Mykola Azarov
Mykola Yanovych Azarov ; born Nikolai Yanovich Pakhlo on 17 December 1947, is a Ukrainian politician who has been the Prime Minister of Ukraine since 11 March 2010. He was the First Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister from 2002 to 2005 and again from 2006 to 2007, and he also served as acting...
and Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is the Ukrainian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Ukraine.-Historical overlook:...
Kostyantyn Hryshchenko stated that integration into Europe has been and remains the priority of domestic and foreign policy of Ukraine.
The policies of the Azarov Government
Azarov Government
The first Azarov Government was appointed on March 11, 2010 as part of the "Stability and Reform" coalition between the Party of Regions, Lytvyn Bloc and the Communist Party of Ukraine in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament...
do not exclude EU integration, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Štefan Füle
Štefan Füle
Štefan Füle is a Czech politician and diplomat, since 2009 European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy in the second Barroso Commission.- Early life :...
stated on May 12, 2010.
"An action plan for Ukraine toward the establishment of a visa-free regime for short-stay travel" between the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
and Ukraine was agreed on November 22, 2010. This roadmap requests major improvements in Ukrainian border control, migration and asylum policies.
Attempts to change the French constitution are currently being attempted in order to remove the compulsory referendum on all EU accessions after Croatia resulted in a new clause requiring compulsory referendums on the accession of all countries with a population of more than 5% of the EU's total population; this clause would apply to Ukraine and Turkey.
On 4 June 2009 some media outlets reported that Germany's Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
openly stated in its programme that Ukraine has the right for the EU membership in the long term. This was the first major German political party to state this.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton warned Ukraine that although the talks on the Association Agreement with Ukraine would continue, the ratification process of this treaty "will face problems if there is no reversal in the approach of Ukrainian authorities" towards the trial of former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
. This association agreement has to be ratified by all member states and the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
for the document to take effect. The sentencing of Yulia Tymoshenko to seven years in prison on October 11, 2011 (an appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
is currently pending) was met with national and international protest and threatens Ukraine–European Union relations.
Popular support to EU integration of Ukraine
In 2004 56% of Ukrainians were for EU membership and 16% against. In January 2008 63% of Ukrainians said they were in favour of joining the bloc. Western UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
was found to be generally more enthusiastic than Eastern Ukraine, but in most regions a majority thought their lives would improve faster if their country were inside the EU. A 2009 poll indicated 20 to 34% support from the Ukrainian people for membership. As of December 2008 44.7% of all Ukrainians find it necessary for Ukraine to enter the European Union and 35.2% see no necessity in Ukraine's entering the EU. In May 2010 53% of Ukrainians older than 16 would like their country to join the European Union in the future. Citizens aged between 20-39 and residents of Central and Western Ukraine appeared to be the strongest supporters of joining the EU.
Ukraine's EU ambassador, Kostyantyn Yeliseyev, notes that business tycoons and politicians from Ukraine's Russian east as much pro-EU as the west of the country: "If any politician today in Ukraine declared himself to be against European integration, he would be politically dead."
Literature
- Anatolij Ponomarenko: "Die europäische Orientierung der Ukraine: Dekret des Präsidenten der Ukraine über die Strategie der Integration der Ukraine in die Europäische Union; Partnerschaftsabkommen zwischen der EU und der Ukraine". Zentrum für Europäische Integrationsforschung, Bonn 1999. 42 S. ISBN 3-933307-39-2
- Dezseri, Kalman [ed.]: Economic and political relations after the EU enlargement: the Visegrad countries and Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldov, Budapest 2004.
- Wolfgang Tiede and Sabina Krispenz: "Die Ukraine auf dem Weg in die Europäische Union?" ("Ukraine on the way to the European Union?" in Osteuropa-Recht (OER)) 2008 (German Law Journal), vol. 6, pp. 417–426.
- Wolfgang Tiede and Christina Schröder: Die Ukraine auf dem Weg in die NATO? ("Ukraine on the Way to NATO Membership?"), in Osteuropa-Recht (OER) 2009 (German Law Journal), vol. 3, pp. 294–304 .
- Andreas Umland: „Europa und die ukrainische Misere: Weil die EU dem Land eine Mitgliedschaft gar nicht in Aussicht stellt, trägt sie zum Chaos in Kiew bei. Ein historischer Fehler", in: Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, 1 November 2009, p. 15 .
- Wolfgang Tiede and Jakob Schirmer: "Strategische Notwendigkeit – Die Östliche Partnerschaft der Europäischen Union" ("The EU’s Eastern Partnership"), in "WeltTrends" (Zeitschrift für internationale Politik und vergleichende Studien), 71/2010, pp. 10–14 .
External links
- Mission of Ukraine to European Communities
- The EU's relations with Ukraine
- Relations in the Russia-Ukraine-EU triangle: 'zero-sum game' or not?, by Vsevolod Samokhvalov, Occasional Paper No. 68, September 2007, European Union Institute for Security StudiesEuropean Union Institute for Security StudiesThe European Union Institute for Security Studies is a Paris-based EU agency of the Common Foreign and Security Policy . Its goals are to find a common security culture for the EU, to help develop and project the CFSP, and to enrich Europe’s strategic debate.The EUISS is an autonomous agency with...
- The EU’s Relations with Ukraine – Present State and Future Prospects
- 'Integration without Europeanisation: Ukraine and its policy towards the European Union'
- 'Ukraine and the EU after the Orange Revolution'
- 'Will the Orange Revolution bear fruit: EU relations in 2005 and the beginning of 2006'
- YES-Ukraine Yalta European Strategy
- In Kürze: - Juschtschenko: Ukraine strebt Einleitung von EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen im Jahr 2007 an
- Sascha Müller-Kraenner: Die Europäische Nachbarschaftspolitik
- Ralf Wachsmuth: Außenpolitischer Kurswechsel in der Ukraine?
- European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument – New Opportunities for Ukraine // Nataliya Andrusevych (Ed). – Lviv, 2008. – 160 p. (in Ukrainian)
- Assessment of the EU – Ukraine Action Plan Implementation: Environment and Sustainable Development, Andrusevych N. (ed). Lviv. 2009. (in Ukrainian, Executive Summary in English)