Relations between Ukraine and the European Union were established in December 1991, when the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, as the representative of the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities, officially recognized Ukraine’s independence on behalf of the EU.
Ukraine’s policy towards building relations with the European Union is implemented on the basis of the Law of Ukraine “On the Principles of Domestic and Foreign Policy” of 1 July 2010. According to Article 11 of the Law, one of the fundamental principles of Ukraine’s foreign policy is “ensuring Ukraine’s integration into the European political, economic, and legal space with the aim of acquiring EU membership.”
At the same time, Ukraine’s intention to develop relations with the EU on the principles of integration was proclaimed much earlier. Thus, in the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “On the Main Directions of Ukraine’s Foreign Policy” of 2 July 1993, Ukraine for the first time declared its European integration aspirations. The document stipulated that “the long-term objective of Ukraine’s foreign policy is membership in the European Communities, provided this does not harm its national interests. In order to maintain stable relations with the European Communities, Ukraine will conclude a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, the implementation of which will become the first stage towards association, and subsequently, full membership in this organization.”
Relevant provisions supporting the course towards EU integration are also contained in the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the recommendations of the parliamentary hearings on cooperation between Ukraine and the EU of 28 November 2002; the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of 22 February 2007 on preparations for negotiations on a new agreement between Ukraine and the EU; as well as the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the recommendations of the parliamentary hearings on the state and prospects of economic relations between Ukraine and the EU and the Customs Union of 19 May 2011.
The refusal of the country’s top leadership in November 2013 to sign the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU triggered mass peaceful protests in Ukraine in defense of the people’s European integration aspirations, which became known as the “EuroMaidan.”
Following the victory of the Revolution of Dignity, on 13 March 2014 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Resolution “On Confirmation of Ukraine’s Course towards Integration into the European Union and Priority Measures in This Direction,” which confirmed the irreversibility of Ukraine’s course towards European integration, the objective of which is to acquire EU membership. It was also noted that Ukraine, as a European state sharing a common history and values with the countries of the European Union, has the right to apply for membership in the EU under Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union. This Resolution also recommended that the Acting President of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine take a number of priority steps in the sphere of European integration, first of all in the context of concluding the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.
With the signing and ratification in 2014 of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, bilateral relations began to develop in a qualitatively new format of political association and economic integration. During the signing of the Association Agreement on 27 June 2014 by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, and during its ratification on 16 September 2014 by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, declarations were made that Ukraine considers the conclusion of the Association Agreement as another step on the path to the ultimate goal of European integration – Ukraine’s full membership in the European Union.
Certain sections of the Association Agreement began to be provisionally applied from 1 November 2014, and on 1 January 2016, the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between Ukraine and the EU came into effect. The process of ratification of the Agreement by all EU Member States and institutions was completed on 11 July 2017. The Agreement entered into force in full on 1 September 2017.
On 7 February 2019, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law on Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding the strategic course of the state for acquiring full membership of Ukraine in the European Union and in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The purpose of the Law was to enshrine in the Constitution of Ukraine the civilizational choice, European identity of the Ukrainian people, and the irreversibility of the state’s strategic course towards full membership in the European Union and NATO.
On 28 February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Ukraine’s application for membership in the European Union. A Joint Statement was also signed together with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
On 9 April 2022, during her visit to Kyiv, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen handed over to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the questionnaire for assessing Ukraine’s readiness to begin EU accession negotiations. While handing over the questionnaire, she noted that the process usually takes years, but in Ukraine’s case it would be a matter of weeks.
On 18 April 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted Ukraine’s answers to the first part of the questionnaire to the Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas.
On 9 May 2022, Ukraine submitted to the European Union the completed second part of the questionnaire required to obtain candidate status for EU membership. During a video meeting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, President Zelenskyy presented the second completed part of the questionnaire. In this document, Ukraine assessed the compliance of its legislation with the EU acquis communautaire. The answers to the second part comprised almost 4,000 pages, providing a detailed picture of the state of Ukrainian legislation after eight years of implementing the Association Agreement with the EU.
On 17 June 2022, the European Commission published its Opinion on Ukraine’s application for EU membership submitted on 28 February 2022. The document was based on Ukraine’s answers to the Commission’s questionnaire regarding Ukraine’s compliance with the Copenhagen membership criteria – political (democratic institutions) and economic (market economy). In its conclusion, the Commission recognized Ukraine’s European perspective and recommended granting it candidate status, provided that Ukraine implements seven recommendations in the areas of judicial reform, anti-corruption, de-oligarchization, combating money laundering, media, and protection of the rights of national minorities.
On 23 June 2022, the Heads of State and Government of the 27 EU Member States, based on the positive recommendations of the European Parliament and the European Commission and by decision of the European Council, unanimously decided to grant Ukraine candidate status.
The European Commission carried out an assessment of Ukraine’s implementation of the seven recommendations as part of its interim assessment (22 June 2023) and in the Commission’s Enlargement Package Report (8 November 2023).
For the first time, the Enlargement Package Report assessed reforms in Ukraine as a candidate country. It highlighted significant reform efforts undertaken by Ukraine despite Russia’s war, as well as important progress in implementing the seven recommendations, including those related to the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and the respect and protection of minorities. On this basis, the Commission recommended that the Council open accession negotiations with Ukraine. In addition, the Commission recommended that the Council adopt the negotiating framework once Ukraine had completed four legislative steps (strengthening NABU, expanding NACP’s powers to verify assets, regulating lobbying, and implementing the remaining Venice Commission recommendations on the protection of national minority rights). It was envisaged that the Commission would report to the Council on progress by March 2024. At the same time, the Commission expressed its readiness to begin preparatory work, in particular the analytical examination of the acquis (screening) and the preparation of the EU’s negotiating framework for Ukraine’s membership talks.
Based on the European Commission’s Enlargement Package Report, on 14 December 2023 the European Council adopted the historic decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.
On 25 January 2024, the inaugural Ukraine–EU meeting on the launch of the analytical examination of the acquis (screening) took place. The agenda included not only screening issues, but also discussions on the preparation and approval of the EU’s negotiating framework for Ukraine’s EU accession talks.
On 21–22 February 2024, the first explanatory meeting within the screening was held – a session on Chapter 23 “Judiciary and Fundamental Rights.”
Following the explanatory sessions on all chapters within six clusters (scheduled for May 2024) and the approval of the EU’s negotiating framework, bilateral screening sessions will begin.
The screening process consists of two parts – explanatory sessions (during which the Ukrainian side asks questions) and bilateral sessions (during which Ukraine informs the European Commission about the state of approximation of legislation in each negotiating chapter).
After the completion of bilateral sessions, the Commission prepares a screening report for each cluster, which includes: an assessment of the level of approximation of Ukrainian legislation in each negotiating chapter; information on Ukraine’s preparatory plans; and a preliminary assessment of the most “problematic” issues that may arise during negotiations (conditions for opening the cluster). The screening report serves as the basis for the Council of the EU to decide on the opening of Cluster 1 (opened first and closed last) and the other five clusters in the EU accession negotiation process with Ukraine.
On 25 June 2024, Ukraine officially launched accession negotiations with the EU. On this date, the first Ukraine–EU Intergovernmental Conference took place. The Ukrainian delegation included representatives of the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Office of the President.
Conclusion of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) from the 14th of June 1994 (came into force on the 1st of March 1998) initiated the cooperation on broad range of political, economic, trade, and humanitarian issues. The conclusion of the PCA allowed to establish a regular bilateral dialogue between Ukraine and the EU on political and sectoral levels, to introduce trade regulations based on the principles of GATT/WTO, to determine the priorities of Ukrainian legislation adaptation to the European norms and standards (acquis communautaire) in main sectors of the Ukrainian economy. 7 priorities were listed in the PCA, such as: energy, trade and investments, justice and home affairs, adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to that of the EU, environment protection, transport, border cooperation, cooperation in areas of science, technology and space.
Based on the PCA, the political dialogue between Ukraine and the EU has been developed into annual meetings (Ukraine – EU Summits) with the participation of the President of Ukraine, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission; meetings of the Cooperation Council with the participation of the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country holding the rotating presidency of the EU; Committee and sectoral subcommittees responsible for cooperation between Ukraine and the EU; Parliamentary Cooperation Committee; political dialogue meetings of foreign affairs ministers; sectoral dialogues meetings; regular meetings on the working group level.
Taking into account that the 10-year term of PCA was expiring in March 2008, Ukraine and the EU launched on the 5th of March 2007 the negotiation process on a new agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Before the new agreement is signed, the PCA is automatically prolonged upon the mutual agreement of both sides. Upon the entry of Ukraine to the Word Trade Orgranization, on the 18th of February 2008 Ukraine and the EU launched negotiations on creating a free trade area, opening ways towards the liberalization of movement of goods, services, capital and non-tariff instruments of economic regulatory policy. On the 9th of September 2008, during the Paris Summit, Ukraine and the EU reached a political agreement that the future agreement between the sides would be an agreement of association type, based on the principles of political association and economic integration. During 15th Ukraine – EU Summit on the 19th of December 2011 the negotiations on the Association Agreement were announced completed and on the 30th of March 2012 the chief negotiators initialed the text of the future Agreement.
In two stages – on the 21st of March 2014 and on the 27th of June 2014 the Association Agreement was signed in Brussels by Ukraine, the EU and its Member States. On behalf of Ukraine the political part of Association Agreement was signed by the Prime Minister of Ukraine A.Yatseniuk, economic part – by the President of Ukraine P.Poroshenko. On behalf of the European Union the Agreement was signed by the heads of the EU institutions and leaders of all EU Member States.
On the 16th of September 2014 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine synchronously with the European Parliament ratified the Association Agreement. Completion of all Ukrainian and the EU necessary internal procedures allowed to start from the 1st of November 2014 the provisional application of a large part of the Association Agreement for the period prior to its full entry into force after ratification of the Agreement by all EU Member States.
Thereby, the Association Agreement forms the legal basis of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU for the medium-term perspective.
Association Agreement provides for the maintenance of regular dialogue at the highest level in the form of annual summits and the creation of new permanent bodies of bilateral cooperation – the Association Council, the Association Committee, the Association Committee in trade configuration, sectoral subcommittees of the Association Committee, The Parliamentary Association Committee and a Civil Society Platform.
With the aim to provide necessary conditions for the implementation of the provisions of future Association Agreement, during the Ukraine – EU Summit in Paris in September 2008 was decided to prepare the Association Agenda. It was approved on the 16th of July 2009 and came into force in November 2009.
The Association Agenda is being updated regularly taking into account the development of political dialogue between Ukraine and EU, as well as results achieved by Ukraine in implementing reforms. The document was updated three times (in 2012, 2013 and 2015). Currently valid Association Agenda was approved on 16 March 2015 by the Association Council between Ukraine and the EU.
In general, the Association Agenda is a joint practical tool aimed at preparing and promoting full implementation of the Association Agreement.
Furthermore, this document is the main mechanism for monitoring and assessment of Ukraine's progress in implementation of the Association Agreement, as well as mechanism for monitoring and assessment of all achievements of political association and economic integration.
The EU and Ukraine define priorities of the Association Agenda, which complement obligations of both parties under the Association Agreement for the full implementation of this Agreement.
To date, ten short-term reform priorities have been identified by both parties as crucial for Ukraine’s progress. They include constitutional reform, reform of judiciary, electoral reform, fight against corruption, public administration reform, energy, deregulation, public procurement, taxation and external audits.
The implementation of the Association Agenda is submitted to the annual monitoring and assessment that is conducted by the Association Committee.
The EU provides significant support to Ukraine in implementation of the Association Agenda, in particularly through the activity of Support Group for Ukraine which was established by the European Commission in April 2014.
integration of the public land cadastre and the public register of ownership rights, the reform of institutions and the land utilization system;
carrying out institutional and sectoral reforms in agriculture and rural development;
ensuring access to funding for small farms through the introduction of grant programs.
Among the latest important bilateral international agreements between Ukraine and the EU should be noted agreements that were concluded during the 22nd EU-Ukraine Summit (October 6, 2020, Kyiv):
Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the European Commission on financing the EU's Strong Regions Program. Document should help attract EU assistance to increase Ukraine's resilience, in particular to hybrid threats and destabilizing situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ukraine's capacity to establish peace. The total EU contribution under the Agreement is € 30 million;
Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the European Commission on financing the Ukraine’s Civil Society Development Mechanism. The document aims to attract the EU’s assistance to strengthen democracy in Ukraine. The total EU contribution under the Agreement is € 20 million;
Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the European Commission on financing the Climate Package for a Stable Economy: (CASE) in Ukraine. The agreement provides for the development and implementation of policies and measures that effectively support the transition to climate-neutral, clean, resource-efficient and secure energy supply and consumption; supporting climate change mitigation by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances; stimulating the transition to a clean and circular economy. The total EU contribution under the Agreement is € 10 million;
Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the European Investment Bank (EIB) on financing the “Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings in Ukraine” project. The purpose of the Agreement is to attract assistance from the European Investment Bank to finance measures aimed at improving the process of thermal modernization of public buildings in Ukraine. The total contribution of the EIB under the Agreement is € 300 million;
Guarantee Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the European Investment Bank (EIB) "Logistics Network (Modernization and Digitization of Ukrposhta)". The signing of the document will ensure the purchase of sorting equipment (automatic crossbelt sorting line with a capacity of 12 thousand units per hour, posisorter sorting line, two Oprisorter sorting lines, semi-automatic roller conveyors, gravity conveyors, IT servers and peripherals), creation of 3 sorting objects (in particular, construction of a hub in Lviv) and 22 sorting depots in total (in particular, construction of depots in 6 cities), introduction of automatic tracking of cargo movement. The total amount of funds for the implementation of the project, according to EIB experts, is € 30 million (excluding VAT);
CEO of Ukrposhta JSC Ihor Smilyanskyi and Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Lilyana Pavlova signed a Financial Agreement “Logistics Network (Modernization and Digitization of Ukrposhta)”. Thanks to the loan, Ukrposhta is modernizing its logistics network by building 3 new sorting centers, 20 post offices and the relevant IT infrastructure.
Outdated Browser
Для комфортної роботи в Мережі потрібен сучасний браузер. Тут можна знайти останні версії.
Outdated Browser
Цей сайт призначений для комп'ютерів, але ви можете вільно користуватися ним.