C3EU RESEARCH WORKSHOP #1
NOVEMBER 15-19, 2015
UKRAINIAN RESEARCH TEAM
OUTLINING CONTEXTS ON EU –
UKRAINE RELATIONS
Joint presentation by:
Yevheniia Hobova,
A. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies,
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Anastasiya Pshenichnykh,
V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
Viktor Velivchenko,
Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University in Cherkasy
CONTEXT: POLITICS
Beginning of cooperation
1991 - Declaration of the EC on Ukraine
1992 - The first EU-Ukraine top-level meeting
1993 - Opening of the EC Representation in Ukraine
1994 - The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified the Agreement on Partnership and
Cooperation between Ukraine and the EU
1998 – The Ukrainian President’s Decree 615 on approval of the Strategy of Ukraine's
integration to the EU
Broadening of cooperation
EU-Ukraine Summits
The 8th summit (Hague, 2004) - the status of a neighborhood country within the European
Neighborhood Policy.
The 9th summit (Kyiv, 2005)
• Status of a market economy
• Cooperation agreements in aircraft engineering, navigation and energy industries
• EU confirmed its intention to start preliminary consultations on a new EU-Ukraine
agreement to replace the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation.
The 17th summit (Kyiv, 2015) - the first summit taking place under the framework of
the Association Agreement
2004 – Adoption of a Strategy Paper on the European Neighborhood Policy
2009 – Launching of Eastern Partnership initiative
2014 – Ukraine - EU Association Agreement
CONTEXT: ECONOMY
Highlights
1993 - Agreement between the European Communities and Ukraine on
Trade in Textile Products.
1995 - Signing of the Temporary Agreement on Trade and Issues Related to
Trade Between Ukraine and the EU.
2005 - The Council of the European Union grants Ukraine Market Economy
Status
2008 - Launching of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.
2011 - Ukraine and the EU finalized negotiations of the Deep and
Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).
2012 - Initialing of DCFTA between the EU and Ukraine
2014 – The Association Agreement.
Outline of Ukraine-EU trade
• The EU is Ukraine's largest trading partner, accounting for more than a third of
its trade. It is also its main source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
• The main Ukraine’s exports to the EU: raw materials (iron, steel, mining
products, agricultural products), chemical products and machinery.
• The main EU’s exports to Ukraine: machinery and transport equipment,
chemicals, and manufactured goods.
• Given Ukraine's industrial potential, the DCFTA provides an opportunity to
make the country more competitive and diversify its exports.
CONTEXT: SOCIO-CULTURAL;
NORMATIVE ASPECTS
Normative aspects – human rights, democracy, rule of law, good
governance, sustainability, antidiscrimination, equality, and solidarity
– are the key values cherished by the EU, and necessary for
implementation in Ukraine. This is a requirement of the Association
Agreement and, particularly, the Visa Liberalization process.
The visa liberalization dialogue was launched in 2010, when the
European Commission developed the Action Plan on Visa
Liberalization (VLAP) and presented it to the Ukrainian Government.
The above normative aspects are the benchmarks that Ukraine has
to meet for its citizens to enter the Schengen zone without a visa. The
process is now demonstrating a positive progress, since of late the
Verkhovna Rada has adopted a set of required decrees.
CONTEXT: ENERGY
After the USSR collapse, Ukraine's main gas supplier has been the
Russian Federation (about 60% of the consumed gas in Ukraine).
Ukraine is a transfer area for delivering Russian gas to the EU countries.
Memorandum of Understanding on Energy (2005) defined five
roadmaps for cooperation (safety of Ukrainian nuclear power plants,
integration of electricity and gas markets, security of energy supplies
and the transit of hydrocarbons, coal sector, energy efficiency and
renewable energy).
Ukraine joined the Energy Community as a full-fledged member (2011).
Ukraine-EU Association Agreement (2014) provides for energy
cooperation including energy security, competitiveness and
sustainability.
The EU is a moderator in discussions on energy security between Ukraine
and Russia in trilateral gas talks (March 2015).
CONTEXT:
RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION
Agreement for scientific and technological co-operation between
the European Community and Ukraine (2002).
Twinning instrument available in Ukraine since 2004.
Bologna Declaration signed in 2005.
Student and academic exchanges funded by Erasmus Mundus and
a partner country of Tempus/Erasmus+ Programme.
BILAT-UKR*AINA project funded by the EU’s 7th Framework
Programme (FP7) completed in 2015 (enhancement and promotion
of bilateral cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation).
Participation in the “Horizon 2020” EU Framework Programme for
Research and Innovation.
CONTEXT: ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE,
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Environment and climate change
Collaboration between European scientists and experts from Ukraine on
Chernobyl disaster consequences since 1990.
Cooperation between Ukraine and EU in the environmental protection
sphere since 1998.
Cooperation and partnership with the European Environment Agency in the
context of the ENP:
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•
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funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,
joint projects with the European Investment Bank;
active involvement in 2 projects of DABLAS (Danube – Black Sea) Task Force;
agreement on establishing the Regional Environmental Center in Ukraine (ratified in 2015).
International development
TACIS programme (1991): technical assistance and financial support (20002006).
European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), Instrument of
Stability, Macro Financial Aid (2007-2013)
CHALLENGES
• Security challenges in Eastern Europe:
defense security
economic security
energy security
information security: counteraction to aggressive anti-Ukrainian
propaganda.
• Unpredictable militarist and expansionist Russia.
• Migration challenges (IDP - internally displaced persons).
• Possible further EU expansion to the East.
• Justice, rule of law and anti-corruption reforms.
• An alternative energy policy.
• Assessment by the EU Commission of Ukraine’s meeting the benchmarks of the
Plan on Visa Liberalization.
• Integration of Ukraine into the European scientific research framework.
• Development of an environment conducive to research, application of new
technologies and adequate protection of the intellectual property.
• Development and implementation of Ukrainian environmental legislation,
strategies and plans
• Improving the quality of human life, promotion of social fairness and justice,
meeting common challenges such as globalization and demographic
change.
KEY ISSUES
• In 1997, Ukraine adopted the Strategy of European Integration.
However, Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU have not been
hailed so far.
• The EU is currently focusing on the support of the
comprehensive reform process underway in Ukraine.
• Ukraine sees no alternative to European integration process.
• The European Council strongly condemned annexation of the
Crimea by Russia, as well as its military intervention in Eastern
Ukraine, and imposed sanctions against Russia.
• Russian Federation pressured Ukraine not to sign the Ukraine-EU
Association Agreement in 2013, which caused a political crisis
and the fall of president Yanukovych’s government.
REFERENCES
• Mission of Ukraine to the European Union: ukraine-eu.mfa.gov.ua/en
• Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine: eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ukraine/
• Key Documents in Ukraine – EU relations:
http://eeas.europa.eu/ukraine/docs/index_en.htm
• European Council on Foreign Relations
• EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (2014)
• Fifth Progress Report on the Implementation by Ukraine of the Action Plan on Visa
Liberalisation, 2015
• Action Plan on Visa Liberalization for Ukraine
• 17th EU-Ukraine Summit: Joint Statement
• Enhancing the BILATeral S&T Partnership with UKRraine * Advanced INnovative
Approach : http://www.bilat-ukraina.eu/en/360.php
• http://europa.eu
• WISE/NIRS Nuclear Monitor, 2011, March 11, No. 724
• European Project and Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Kyiv: NISS, 2012
www.niss.gov.ua/content/articles/files/evrop-ea0b8.pdf
• Взаимоотношения Украины и России в энергетической сфере. In Національна
безпека і оборона, No 4, 2009
http://www.razumkov.org.ua/ukr/files/category_journal/NSD108_rus_3.pdf
• http://www.project-bridge.eu/datoteke/Actions2012/BRIDGEANALYSIS%20OF%20THE%20EU-UKRAINE%20RELATIONS.pdf