Bogdana Hunchak Intensive course “European Integration: History, Future, Current Topics” Essays Is Ukraine ready for EU membership? Please explain your opinion with reference to the EU membership conditions. It goes without saying that the Russian aggression against Ukraine also brought up the issue of our European integration is one of the most important issues facing us today. On the one hand, this may seem unexpected - because now the number one issue (as well as number two, three, four...) is opposition to Russian aggression, preservation of independence and territorial integrity. On the other hand, the invasion of the Russian Federation gave Ukraine a unique chance to formalize its membership in the European family. The war in Ukraine is the absolute number one topic in Europe and beyond, in fact the entire continent has unconditionally taken our side and is actively helping. First of all, it is worth considering that the European integration of Ukraine under the current conditions also has a powerful philosophical base - because the Ukrainian people are now defending their European values in the fight against aggressive, authoritarian (or already semi-totalitarian), imperialist Russia, not in words, but in deed, and at a very high cost. But it is worth understanding that Ukraine itself is still hardly ready for full membership in the European Union. After all, we are talking not only about the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights, belonging to European civilization, etc., but also about "boring" things, such as the synchronization of legislation with European legislation in many areas, without which EU membership simply will not work in principle. Of course, in the current conditions in Ukraine, no one puts forward demands for reforms, for example, in the sphere of justice - now it would look absurd and inappropriate. But without a significant internal transformation, it will still not be possible to join the EU. So far, the task of obtaining the formal status of a candidate country for accession and starting substantive negotiations seems optimal and realistic. At the very least, this would be a powerful signal for proEuropean oriented Ukrainians (that is, almost all of them) that Brussels is ready not only to declare a "single European family", but also to take concrete steps. And, of course, Ukraine and will continue to receive significant assistance from the EU, both for the fight against the Russian aggressor and for post-war recovery. I don't see anything that could not be done under the conditions laid out for us. I think the plan is quite realistic. We can do everything, because the prospect of joining the EU has appeared, and it is unlikely that any of the politicians will take responsibility for saying that they do not support European integration. There may be some manipulations, attempts to delay the process, but no one will publicly oppose it. There is a certain tradition of how accession to the EU takes place. It's like in sports. After the candidate status is granted, the country is examined, that is, a comprehensive assessment. And now the European Commission will prepare such an assessment at the request of the leaders of the EU states. Most likely, it will be by the end of the year. Everything will be written there. This is when you undergo a complete medical examination - from pressure and temperature to an examination of the whole body. The European Commission will make such an assessment of the functioning of all systems of our country. And will prepare recommendations. Roadmaps will be built on the basis of these recommendations. Bogdana Hunchak Taking everything into consideration, Ukraine's accession to the EU is a matter of perspective, which depends on many factors. In particular, both from the effectiveness of internal reforms and from transformational processes within the EU. So, in the nearest future, Ukraine on the path to European integration will face daily, painstaking work on the implementation of the Association Agreement, which moves the country on the way to the EU. However, and most importantly, today there are reasons to claim that Ukraine has passed the stage of choosing between European and Eurasian vectors of state development. Do you think the EU Green Deal is fit for the challenges posed by climate change? As far as I`m concerned, the European Green Deal is the most comprehensive and ambitious climate and environmental protection program launched by the EU. This is a strategy to transform the EU into a resource-efficient economy, where in 2050 there will be zero greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth will be decoupled from the use of natural resources. The need for such changes arose due to rapid climate changes associated with an increase in the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the 20th century due to human activity. Ukraine plans to join this course, declaring in the National Economic Strategy the intention to achieve climate neutrality in 2060. However, such a transition can become a huge challenge for our country due to outdated technologies in industry, low quality of public administration and overly ambitious goals proposed by the European Union for Ukraine. From my point of view, the importance of the Green Deal goals cannot be overstated, it is unlikely that all European countries will be climate neutral by 2050. This does not mean that Ukraine needs to relax, but we have a good opportunity to learn from the experience of our neighbors, since the deadline for achieving climate neutrality announced by Ukraine is somewhat more distant - 2060. Ukraine can win from the global movement towards climate neutrality or lose in this race. It all depends on whether we take responsibility for the changes ourselves or rely only on external funding and preferences. Currently, Ukraine has good starting conditions and the opportunity to profit from the invested efforts. There is no common understanding among politicians and society about what the "Green Deal" means. Often it is perceived only as environmental issues. Thus, in the Ukrainian parliament, deputies usually believe that this is the responsibility of the Environmental Policy Committee, while the Energy Committee does not emphasize the Green Course. In fact, the Green Deal has much more to do with the economy than with the environment. To sum up , the EU Green Deal meets the challenges of climate change. The European Green Deal is part of international efforts to combat climate change. The idea behind its implementation is to motivate by example. This means that if the European Union can achieve sustainable growth while making the planet cleaner and safer for our children, so can other countries. Bogdana Hunchak References: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. European Green Deal https://cutt.ly/DgIW6FA https://cutt.ly/RgIEwxs https://cutt.ly/LgIErVF The European Green Deal Investment Plan and Just Transition Mechanism https://cutt.ly/3gIEoql Commission Communication on the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan https://cutt.ly/MgIEjJE Proposal for a European climate law https://cutt.ly/agIElpy European industrial strategy https://cutt.ly/fgIEzth Circular Economy Action Plan https://cutt.ly/CgIExj3 European Clean Hydrogen Alliance https://www.ech2a.eu/
