On 3 December the European Commission is going to present its draft communiqué on the Eastern Partnership (EP) policy. The EC is to propose pulling the six post-Soviet neighbours – Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Belarus – closer to the West, to recognize their “European aspirations” and to create a new “European Economic Area”. This decision ruined the Ukrainian dream to establish “special relationship” with the European Union.
Previously, a mutual consent to call a new enhanced document to be signed by Ukraine and the EU “the Association Agreement” was interpreted in Kiev as a great achievement of Ukrainian diplomacy.
Our top officials are still talking about the Association as an essential step on the way to membership in the European Union. Most of them, including President, Prime minister and Foreign Affairs Minister use even a word combination “Associative membership in the EU” to emphasize the importance of the document. Now they should feel at least uncomfortable for saying that: the Eurocomission proposes to sign Association Agreements not only with its close and democratic neighbour Ukraine, but also with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, and Belarus with its semi-dictator Lukashenko.
So, instead of “special relationship” Ukraine is to receive a marginal status of “Eastern partner” of the European Union. “The conclusion of Association Agreements will be without prejudice to the partners' European aspirations”, the EU is declaring. Even the negotiations on Free Trade Area or free visa regime will be conducted in frames of the Eastern Partnership policy.
The EUObserver’s article with quotations of draft Commission communication on the EP may be read here.
Showing posts with label EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
European perspective for Ukraine
To get back to work after summer holidays is usually not easy task. While I was out of intense news-stream, a lot of important things have happened. War in Georgia, declaration of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, almost successful efforts of some forces inside and outside Ukraine to make Kiev a side of a Russia-Georgia conflict… And the same time – the escalation of political crisis in Ukraine, new talks about state interests’ betrayal and early elections, and, to crown all this, the full fiasco of Ukrainian European aspirations during the Paris EU-Ukraine Summit on 9 September.
OK, it was not “the full”, but fiasco. Yes, the EU authorities declared that Ukraine is “European country” with common history, culture… blah blah blah. But that’s all. European Union decided not to include in the new enhanced Association agreement with Kiev the word about a possibility for Ukraine to join European Union in future.
But life is going on. In October the delegation of our MP’s Club “Parliament” is going to participate in the European Colloquy “Representative democracy and participatory democracy”, which is organized by the Association of former members of Parliament of Greece in frames of activities of the European Association of former members of Parliament of member states of the European Union and the Council of Europe. Today – just 3 hours before the deadline – I’ve sent to the European Association secretariat the following amendments to the Athens Declaration:
«Globalizing democracy encourages the European Union to open the door for citizens of all the European countries to participate more fully in democratic decision-making process in Europe, through the direct democracy mechanisms. People living in the candidate countries Turkey and Croatia, potential candidate countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia, or countries which have the European aspirations, like Ukraine, should be more informed about the recent EU developments and allowed to take part in general discussions on European matters. At the same time, the practical standards of the representative and direct democracy in these countries must be provided at the same high democratic level as in the European Union. To favour the development of democracy, stability and prosperity on the whole European continent the EU should continue to support its neighbors in their efforts in realization of political, economic and social reforms, strengthening human rights and the rule of law».
«The Association welcomes the results of the 12th annual EU-Ukraine Summit held in Paris on 9 September 2008 and the considerable progress made in negotiations on the new enhanced Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Association regrets that the European Parliament recommendation of 12 July 2007 on a negotiation mandate for a new enhanced agreement which called for «giving Ukraine a clear European perspective» was not taken into the account».
«To support Ukraine's European choice and ongoing democratic reforms on the whole European continent, the European Association of Former Members of Parliament calls the European Council, the European Commission and other high authorities to consider granting to Ukraine a EU membership prospect, recognizing the country's right to join the European Union in the future».
OK, it was not “the full”, but fiasco. Yes, the EU authorities declared that Ukraine is “European country” with common history, culture… blah blah blah. But that’s all. European Union decided not to include in the new enhanced Association agreement with Kiev the word about a possibility for Ukraine to join European Union in future.
But life is going on. In October the delegation of our MP’s Club “Parliament” is going to participate in the European Colloquy “Representative democracy and participatory democracy”, which is organized by the Association of former members of Parliament of Greece in frames of activities of the European Association of former members of Parliament of member states of the European Union and the Council of Europe. Today – just 3 hours before the deadline – I’ve sent to the European Association secretariat the following amendments to the Athens Declaration:
«Globalizing democracy encourages the European Union to open the door for citizens of all the European countries to participate more fully in democratic decision-making process in Europe, through the direct democracy mechanisms. People living in the candidate countries Turkey and Croatia, potential candidate countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia, or countries which have the European aspirations, like Ukraine, should be more informed about the recent EU developments and allowed to take part in general discussions on European matters. At the same time, the practical standards of the representative and direct democracy in these countries must be provided at the same high democratic level as in the European Union. To favour the development of democracy, stability and prosperity on the whole European continent the EU should continue to support its neighbors in their efforts in realization of political, economic and social reforms, strengthening human rights and the rule of law».
«The Association welcomes the results of the 12th annual EU-Ukraine Summit held in Paris on 9 September 2008 and the considerable progress made in negotiations on the new enhanced Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Association regrets that the European Parliament recommendation of 12 July 2007 on a negotiation mandate for a new enhanced agreement which called for «giving Ukraine a clear European perspective» was not taken into the account».
«To support Ukraine's European choice and ongoing democratic reforms on the whole European continent, the European Association of Former Members of Parliament calls the European Council, the European Commission and other high authorities to consider granting to Ukraine a EU membership prospect, recognizing the country's right to join the European Union in the future».
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
EU-friends of Ukraine: 16 from 27?
On 12 May a First Interparliamentary Conference called “Parliamentary cooperation between Ukraine and the EU” started in conference-hall of the Parliament of Ukraine (Verkhovna Rada). Members of bilateral Friendship Groups with Ukraine from the Parliaments of all the member states of the European Union – as well as the European Parliament – were invited to Kyiv to participate in this event. But not all the invitees showed up. MP’s from only 16 of 27 EU-countries participated in the Kyiv event.
As I was present on this conference, I can surely say that the launching of such an initiative is really very important both for Ukraine and the EU member states. First of all, it is a unique opportunity to share points of view on problems of the European integration of Ukraine, and also to see the whole picture from the feedback. During the first day of the conference the participants listened to three reports of the Head of the Committee of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on European Integration Borys Tarasyuk, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Borys Tarasyuk, Vice President of the European Parliament, former Chairman of the Committee for Parliamentary Cooperation EU-Ukraine Marek Siwiec and Chairman of the Committee for Parliamentary Cooperation EU-Ukraine in-charge Adrian Severin.
Shortly speaking, the main result of that day may be listed in four simple points:
1. Ukraine feels offended for the “enlargement” of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which shifted a status of Ukraine to neighbour, equal to, for example, Morocco (who also participates in the ENP).
2. Ukraine insists on being called not a neighbour, but a part of Europe (as geographically it is at the middle of Europe).
3. Ukraine strongly insists on signing of the Association agreement with the European Union to mark the next significant step in the EU-Ukraine relationships.
4. European Union is not ready to give Ukraine all the mentioned above.
Today will be another interesting day, full of information. But before everything get started I would like to name 16 countries, which delegated their members of parliament to visit Ukraine and to talk about the European future of Ukraine. I don’t know what are the reasons of absence of the representatives of other 10. Maybe the reasons are serious. But the following countries can be surely named as the best friends of Ukraine in Europe. At least, they are the most interested in Ukraine.
16 countries-participants (in alphabetic order):
1. Belgium. 2. Bulgaria. 3. Czech Republic. 4. Cyprus. 5. Estonia. 6. Greece. 7. Finland. 8. Hungary. 9. Ireland. 10. Latvia. 11. Lithuania. 12. Poland. 13. Portugal. 14. Romania. 15. Slovakia. 16. United Kingdom.
As I was present on this conference, I can surely say that the launching of such an initiative is really very important both for Ukraine and the EU member states. First of all, it is a unique opportunity to share points of view on problems of the European integration of Ukraine, and also to see the whole picture from the feedback. During the first day of the conference the participants listened to three reports of the Head of the Committee of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on European Integration Borys Tarasyuk, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Borys Tarasyuk, Vice President of the European Parliament, former Chairman of the Committee for Parliamentary Cooperation EU-Ukraine Marek Siwiec and Chairman of the Committee for Parliamentary Cooperation EU-Ukraine in-charge Adrian Severin.
Shortly speaking, the main result of that day may be listed in four simple points:
1. Ukraine feels offended for the “enlargement” of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which shifted a status of Ukraine to neighbour, equal to, for example, Morocco (who also participates in the ENP).
2. Ukraine insists on being called not a neighbour, but a part of Europe (as geographically it is at the middle of Europe).
3. Ukraine strongly insists on signing of the Association agreement with the European Union to mark the next significant step in the EU-Ukraine relationships.
4. European Union is not ready to give Ukraine all the mentioned above.
Today will be another interesting day, full of information. But before everything get started I would like to name 16 countries, which delegated their members of parliament to visit Ukraine and to talk about the European future of Ukraine. I don’t know what are the reasons of absence of the representatives of other 10. Maybe the reasons are serious. But the following countries can be surely named as the best friends of Ukraine in Europe. At least, they are the most interested in Ukraine.
16 countries-participants (in alphabetic order):
1. Belgium. 2. Bulgaria. 3. Czech Republic. 4. Cyprus. 5. Estonia. 6. Greece. 7. Finland. 8. Hungary. 9. Ireland. 10. Latvia. 11. Lithuania. 12. Poland. 13. Portugal. 14. Romania. 15. Slovakia. 16. United Kingdom.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Where’s Ukraine?
It is a little bit difficult to choose a topic to start a blog with – it’s like to design a visit card or write a cover letter for all the people who will visit this page. Let me tell a couple of words concerning the reasons why I’ve decided to start this blog and why I’m writing in English (and not in Ukrainian or Russian).
Ten years ago I was participating in student conference in Hague (Holland). On the closure reception I met one nice guy who caused a real cultural shock in my mind. When I told him that I live in Ukraine, he added with sincere sympathy: “It should be very long and difficult trip to Holland from Africa!” I was sure he was joking, but he was not. That educated man who was working in the city hall of Hague just didn’t know that there is such a European country as Ukraine. He was thinking that Ukraine is somewhere in Africa. I decided not to tell him that he is wrong.
So, ten years ago Ukraine was not very popular country in Europe. Now the situation has changed. But (as I can estimate) most people in Europe associate Ukraine only with a couple of words: Shevchenko (football player), Orange Revolution and maybe gas quarrels with Moscow. But here in Ukraine we’ve got a lot of extra interesting things. For example, heritage of genius poet and painter Taras Shevchenko, and a long-lasting political crisis.
In my blog I’m going to write about Ukraine in contemporary Europe and the world. I will use English language to reach a wider audience and to understand, what is the place of Ukraine in minds of Europeans (and not only Europeans)?
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