The official Kyiv is looking forward to finalizing a new agenda for Ukraine-EU cooperation in the area of justice, freedom and security. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba announced during a meeting with EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourová in Brussels (Belgium).

The Deputy Prime Minister assured the Commissioner that the Government intends to accelerate the implementation of an ambitious reform program, with an emphasis on the reform of justice and further strengthening of the rule of law. According to him, the work on the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU will also be stepped up.

The previous year, during a meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Committee, the Ukrainian side had submitted proposals on a new agenda for cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the field of justice, freedom and security, which were elaborated by the European Commission. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed his hope that with due joint efforts this agenda would be finalized within the near future and be considered during the EU-Ukraine Association Council this year.

Aimed to intensify our cooperation, Ukraine has developed a new Annex to Chapter III “Justice, freedom and security” of the Association Agreement and submitted it for consideration by the European Commission.

Dmytro Kuleba stressed that it was a critical point now for further strengthening of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the sectors of cybersecurity, fight against misinformation and building a system of resilience to modern-day threats.

"We express our commitment to work in synergy with the European Union to improve the protection of information and communication networks of both the EU and Ukraine," the Deputy Prime Minister said. He voiced gratitude to the European side for substantial support in enhancing Ukraine's cybersecurity.

According to him, Ukraine also counts on the assistance of the European Union in establishing cooperation with the EU's online platforms to combat disinformation and political manipulation. Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Ukraine was seeking to join the EU Rapid Alert System, designed to provide alerts on disinformation threats in real time.

Background

On March 18, 2019, the European Commission and the EU High Representative introduced the Rapid Alert System (RAS), which helps to share instances of disinformation campaigns saving time and resources. The RAS operates 24/7 and is in constant contact with the EU Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) and the EEAS. The Rapid Alert System also operates in close cooperation with NATO and G7.