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07 March 2023, 09:20
The meeting of the Committee on the Integration of Ukraine into the EU on
7 March 2023 was devoted to the report of ministries and agencies on the
progress in the implementation of the Association Agreement between
Ukraine and the European Union. The Deputy Prime Minister for European and
Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna and representatives of the
ministries informed Committee members about the measures taken to
approximate the legislation of Ukraine to the law of the European Union.
The approximation is provided by the Association Agreement and is also
mandatory for Ukraine's progress on the way to EU membership. ‘It is not
only about the Agreement, but also about the readiness of Ukraine in
various areas for membership in the European Union,’ said the Chair of the
Committee, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. In fall this year, the European
Commission will assess Ukraine's readiness to start negotiations on
joining the EU.
The Chair of the Committee noted that the Committee on Ukraine’s integration into the EU received reports on the implementation of the Agreement as of 2022 from the central executive authorities. ‘We will look at these processes a little more broadly, and not strictly as the implementation of the Agreement, because we also have to fulfil seven recommendations of the European Commission, which are crucial for a positive assessment and a chance to open negotiations already this year. I have repeatedly said that I consider this task ambitious, but absolutely realistic. Therefore, I understand that everything will depend on the
broad cooperation between the Government and the Parliament,’ said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
The Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna informed that after 23 June 2022, when Ukraine received the status of a candidate for joining the European Union, the next step of the Government was to ensure the implementation of seven political recommendations. ‘At the same time, with the ambitious goal of opening the negotiation process at the end of this year, we worked on the implementation of the Association Agreement to the possible extend,’ the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Since the beginning of this year, according to her, Ukraine has already evaluated the implemented steps with the European Commission, and additional recommendations were prepared, in particular concerning the Parliament: ‘We are talking about introducing changes to the law on advertising. The European Commission has already provided an opinion on this law. The Government will also introduce several draft laws related to combating money laundering and terrorist financing. In addition, the legislation on excessive influence of individuals, known as the anti-oligarchic law, will require specific changes’.
Olga Stefanishyna noted that the Government completed several important blocks, such as establishing an anti-corruption infrastructure. The European Commission also positively assessed the indicators of the activity of the law enforcement and judicial bodies in the area of anti-corruption. It refers to the SAP and other components of the law enforcement sector. ‘We have also formed a competent High Council of Justice. All these institutions became capable as a result of comprehensive inspection and tender procedures with the participation of international experts. The Government appointed the Head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and it approved the state anti-corruption program, which will be the main subject of the EU assessment,’ said the Deputy Prime Minister.
During the Ukraine-EU summit, an analytical report on the conformity of Ukrainian legislation with EU law was presented. Olha Stefanishyna noted that it was about assessing the compliance of all legislation with the law of the European Union, and not only those acts stipulated by the Association Agreement. ‘The indicators were a little surprising. Despite the large number of laws adopted, for example, in the field of the environment, this field is at the lowest level from the point of view of readiness to open negotiations. I want to emphasise that we are talking about an assessment of Ukraine's readiness to become part of the European Union. It is not an assessment of the implementation of the Association Agreement,’ she said.
Currently, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Government has started a self-assessment, which will be carried out together with European colleagues: ‘To do this, Ukraine was provided with the entire list of 29.000 acts of the EU law, which should become part of the national legislation before Ukraine joins the EU. The analysis, which we plan to complete by the end of May, will have two main results. Firstly, in October 2023 an updated report on Ukraine is to be issued, where the indicators are expected to be significantly improved. The second part of the assessment will include a list of tasks that we need to complete in order to implement the remaining EU legal acts. It will form the basis of future negotiations and negotiating positions of Ukraine and the European Union regarding the EU Accession Agreement.’ According to Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine expects that self-assessment will be completed quickly enough, and this will allow the EU to make a political decision at the end of the year on the opening of negotiations. ‘We expect that the spring interim evaluation of the European Commission will determine a specific list of measures that are required for a positive report on the full implementation of the seven recommendations in October,’ the Deputy Prime Minister said.
The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, noted that this assessment is extremely important, because it will allow Ukraine to finalise the points that need additional attention: ‘Till the end of the summer, we have time to fulfil seven conditions to the possible extend to be able to count on a positive assessment in October 2023.’
At the same time, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that, moving towards the procedure of simplified adoption of European integration draft laws, it is necessary to ensure that any draft law developed by the Cabinet of Ministers does not contradict EU law. ‘We see such a practice that sometimes government’s draft laws do not fully take into account the EU law, and sometimes they are distorted beyond recognition before the second reading. In such cases our Committee is the last point to stop the violation of the EU law. Therefore, I think that there is something to work on here,’ said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
She also assured that both the members of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU and a much wider circle of deputies are ready to join the promotion of the opening of negotiations with the European Union: "We would very much like to achieve the result for which we will not be ashamed. We have already started this work. At all our meetings with politicians from EU member states, we talk about the need to adjust actions in a way that by the end of the year, Ukraine would be able to count on the opening of membership negotiations.’
Ministries reported on the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU
The Chair of the Committee noted that the Committee on Ukraine’s integration into the EU received reports on the implementation of the Agreement as of 2022 from the central executive authorities. ‘We will look at these processes a little more broadly, and not strictly as the implementation of the Agreement, because we also have to fulfil seven recommendations of the European Commission, which are crucial for a positive assessment and a chance to open negotiations already this year. I have repeatedly said that I consider this task ambitious, but absolutely realistic. Therefore, I understand that everything will depend on the
broad cooperation between the Government and the Parliament,’ said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
The Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna informed that after 23 June 2022, when Ukraine received the status of a candidate for joining the European Union, the next step of the Government was to ensure the implementation of seven political recommendations. ‘At the same time, with the ambitious goal of opening the negotiation process at the end of this year, we worked on the implementation of the Association Agreement to the possible extend,’ the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Since the beginning of this year, according to her, Ukraine has already evaluated the implemented steps with the European Commission, and additional recommendations were prepared, in particular concerning the Parliament: ‘We are talking about introducing changes to the law on advertising. The European Commission has already provided an opinion on this law. The Government will also introduce several draft laws related to combating money laundering and terrorist financing. In addition, the legislation on excessive influence of individuals, known as the anti-oligarchic law, will require specific changes’.
Olga Stefanishyna noted that the Government completed several important blocks, such as establishing an anti-corruption infrastructure. The European Commission also positively assessed the indicators of the activity of the law enforcement and judicial bodies in the area of anti-corruption. It refers to the SAP and other components of the law enforcement sector. ‘We have also formed a competent High Council of Justice. All these institutions became capable as a result of comprehensive inspection and tender procedures with the participation of international experts. The Government appointed the Head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and it approved the state anti-corruption program, which will be the main subject of the EU assessment,’ said the Deputy Prime Minister.
During the Ukraine-EU summit, an analytical report on the conformity of Ukrainian legislation with EU law was presented. Olha Stefanishyna noted that it was about assessing the compliance of all legislation with the law of the European Union, and not only those acts stipulated by the Association Agreement. ‘The indicators were a little surprising. Despite the large number of laws adopted, for example, in the field of the environment, this field is at the lowest level from the point of view of readiness to open negotiations. I want to emphasise that we are talking about an assessment of Ukraine's readiness to become part of the European Union. It is not an assessment of the implementation of the Association Agreement,’ she said.
Currently, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Government has started a self-assessment, which will be carried out together with European colleagues: ‘To do this, Ukraine was provided with the entire list of 29.000 acts of the EU law, which should become part of the national legislation before Ukraine joins the EU. The analysis, which we plan to complete by the end of May, will have two main results. Firstly, in October 2023 an updated report on Ukraine is to be issued, where the indicators are expected to be significantly improved. The second part of the assessment will include a list of tasks that we need to complete in order to implement the remaining EU legal acts. It will form the basis of future negotiations and negotiating positions of Ukraine and the European Union regarding the EU Accession Agreement.’ According to Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine expects that self-assessment will be completed quickly enough, and this will allow the EU to make a political decision at the end of the year on the opening of negotiations. ‘We expect that the spring interim evaluation of the European Commission will determine a specific list of measures that are required for a positive report on the full implementation of the seven recommendations in October,’ the Deputy Prime Minister said.
The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, noted that this assessment is extremely important, because it will allow Ukraine to finalise the points that need additional attention: ‘Till the end of the summer, we have time to fulfil seven conditions to the possible extend to be able to count on a positive assessment in October 2023.’
At the same time, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that, moving towards the procedure of simplified adoption of European integration draft laws, it is necessary to ensure that any draft law developed by the Cabinet of Ministers does not contradict EU law. ‘We see such a practice that sometimes government’s draft laws do not fully take into account the EU law, and sometimes they are distorted beyond recognition before the second reading. In such cases our Committee is the last point to stop the violation of the EU law. Therefore, I think that there is something to work on here,’ said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
She also assured that both the members of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU and a much wider circle of deputies are ready to join the promotion of the opening of negotiations with the European Union: "We would very much like to achieve the result for which we will not be ashamed. We have already started this work. At all our meetings with politicians from EU member states, we talk about the need to adjust actions in a way that by the end of the year, Ukraine would be able to count on the opening of membership negotiations.’