The door is open, but still a long way off

The Ukraine-EU summit that will be held in Kyiv on Dec. 1 is not likely to be a historic event. It will mostly deal with Ukraine’s progress on the Action Plan, signed with the EU this year, and questions dealing with Ukraine’s future relations with this union of states. This was the subject of last week’s news conference at the Representation of the European Commission in Kyiv. It appears that Kyiv cannot hope for any major breakthroughs. There is no telling whether Ukraine will even get its long-sought market economy status.

“Ukraine should continue tirelessly to implement the political and economic reforms that have been agreed upon in the Ukraine- EU Action Plan. It is the best way of actively realizing Ukraine’s European integration,” said Britain’s Ambassador to Ukraine Robert Brinkley. Great Britain currently holds the rotating EU presidency. Overall, Ukraine’s implementation of the Action Plan has received a positive assessment from the EU. Brinkley pointed out growing freedom of expression and the development of the mass media. In his view, now is the time to “reinforce and consolidate this success,” which is why the EU will observe the situation closely during the 2006 parliamentary elections: “For Ukraine this is an opportunity to show qualities confirming that it is a democratic European country.” The EU is pleased with its cooperation with Ukraine in the foreign policy sphere, especially with the latter’s support for the EU’s position on regional issues. At the same time, Ukraine did not support the EU’s position on the elections in Azerbaijan. “It pleases us to see Ukraine on our side. At the same time it makes decisions independently of the EU’s position,” Brinkley said. He further pointed out Ukraine’s positive role in the resolution of the Transdnistrian conflict. Positive accomplishments also include negotiations on simplifying visa regulations for Ukrainian citizens, which opened on Nov. 20 in Brussels. They will be held in tandem with the talks on the readmission agreement.

The Kyiv summit will address the question of granting Ukraine market economy status, which is a question of immediate concern for Ukraine. “So far no official decision has been made,” said Ian Boag, the European Commission’s ambassador to Ukraine. “The European Commission has submitted its findings for a review by the EU, and consultations among the EU member states are currently underway. A decision should not be expected before the start of the summit, because these consultations require time,” he said. Some impetus could come from Ukraine’s accession to the World Trade Organization. “We are certain that the advantages of membership in this organization outweigh the disadvantages it may bring,” Ambassador Brinkley said. Boag said that the EU has long supported Ukraine’s WTO accession, adding that as soon as Ukraine joins the WTO, the EU will start talks on creating a free trade zone with Ukraine. Aside from the progress review, the Kyiv summit will see the signing of a number of agreements in the spheres of trade, civil aviation, and the GALILEO program.

EU representatives are not tired of explaining that, although realistic, Ukraine’s accession to the EU is a remote prospect. Boag recalled a statement by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, made during Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov’s recent visit to Brussels: “The door to the EU is open.” The EU has promised to discuss the question of Ukraine’s integration more explicitly at the end of 2008, when the Ukraine-EU Action Plan and the Cooperation and Partnership Agreement will be drawing to a close. The EU sees the main indicator of successful implementation of the Action Plan in the creation of a healthy investment climate. Based on the result of Ukraine’s implementation of these documents, the EU plans to offer Ukraine a new extended cooperation agreement. “We encourage Ukraine to continue moving along the path of reforms that it has chosen for itself and which forms the essential component of the Action Plan,” Boag said. The EU plans to facilitate this process by increasing funding for the TACIS program up to 100 million euros to further support legal and administrative reform, the private sector, and economic development. Next year Austria will take over the EU presidency from Great Britain. The Austrian Embassy’s temporary charge d’affaires, Sigrid Berka, assured those present that “Austria is determined to use the possibilities afforded by its presidency to further develop a close and dynamic relationship between Ukraine and the EU.” Plans for the first half of 2006 include an analysis of Ukraine’s progress on the Ukraine-EU Action Plan as well as a meeting on issues of cooperation at the ministerial level.