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26 January 2021, 08:26
The Association Agreement with the EU provides for 14 sectors in which Ukraine must fulfil its “homework” in the field of integration with the EU. In 6 of the mentioned sectors the tasks were to be completed by the end of 2020, according to the Agreement. Changes in another 8 of the 14 sectors are due to be finalized in 2023. At the end of each stage, the European Union decides on Ukraine's integration into certain sectors of the European economy. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze reminded that the Association Agreement does not provide for direct obligations of the EU regarding the deadlines for making such decisions. According to the Chair of the Committee, this may be one of the areas where the Agreement should be revised: “I would like to recommend the Government to take this into account. This is one of those components that should be taken into account today, when we are preparing Ukraine's position on updating the Association Agreement”.
Regarding the fulfilment of Ukraine’s obligations under the AA with the EU, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is convinced that it’s the direct responsibility and the capacity of the executive bodies. According to her, the Verkhovna Rada should receive legislative proposals on the implementation of certain European integration tasks from the ministries and the Government. “We hope that after the three Deputy Prime Ministers for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration in the Governments of Ukraine have changed in 2020 — it is finally possible to set the operational arrangements in such a way that these legislative initiatives appear in Parliament and so that Parliament can do its work, and not to offer patchwork initiatives that do not fully take into account one or another EU directive or regulation”, — the Chair of the Committee said.
In her speech, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also drew attention to those areas that may be promising in the direction of Ukraine's immediate implementation of its European integration homework. According to her, the adoption of the Law on Inland Water Transport gives the Government the opportunity to start working on the inclusion of Ukrainian inland waterways in the European transport system TEN-T. According to the Chair of the Committee, infrastructure integration into the European gas transportation system, updating of the Annexes on sectoral integration into the European digital single market, transport sector, in particular, work on the transition to environmentally friendly transport and aviation fuels are also important. Ukraine should also pay close attention to sectoral integration in terms of its ambition to join the European Green Deal. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is convinced that this is a big task and, at the same time, great challenges that require additional funds - internal and external investments and direct assistance from the European Union.
Sectoral cooperation is a practical dimension of fulfilling our ambitions towards the EU
The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU is convinced that sectoral cooperation with the EU enables Ukraine to realize it's ambitions towards the European Union and the strategic goals set out in the Constitution of Ukraine. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze stated this during an online discussion: “Ukraine's sectoral integration into the EU: preconditions, prospects, challenges”. At the same time, according to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, we shouldn’t expect a cascade of budget programs of sectoral support from the European Union, as Ukraine does not fulfil its obligations even under the two programs that are already working. These are programs to support civil service reform and energy security strategies. The civil service strategy was agreed at the end of 2016 with the European Union. Funding started in 2018, and in 2019 the Parliament adopted decisions that completely destroyed the approaches that were agreed - the Chair of the Committee stated. “Based on this experience, it is doubtful that the EU is encouraged to open new sectoral programs”, — she said. According to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the situation is similar with the energy security strategy. Ukraine has achieved a revision and update of Annex XXVII to the Association Agreement, which for the first time provides for specific commitments by the EU after Ukraine fulfils its homework on integration into European energy markets. But a year and a half after this decision was signed and ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, there is no effective mechanism for the coordination of legislative initiatives between the Cabinet of Ministers and the European Commission. “We ignore this at the level of the Verkhovna Rada, despite all the calls from our Committee, despite all the conclusions of our Committee, in which we ask to coordinate amendments to the legislation concerning the electricity and gas markets with the European Commission. This means that Ukraine’s inefficiency in that and the lack of a common language with the EU does not give an appetite for any additional sectoral programs of budget support”, — Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze stressed.The Association Agreement with the EU provides for 14 sectors in which Ukraine must fulfil its “homework” in the field of integration with the EU. In 6 of the mentioned sectors the tasks were to be completed by the end of 2020, according to the Agreement. Changes in another 8 of the 14 sectors are due to be finalized in 2023. At the end of each stage, the European Union decides on Ukraine's integration into certain sectors of the European economy. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze reminded that the Association Agreement does not provide for direct obligations of the EU regarding the deadlines for making such decisions. According to the Chair of the Committee, this may be one of the areas where the Agreement should be revised: “I would like to recommend the Government to take this into account. This is one of those components that should be taken into account today, when we are preparing Ukraine's position on updating the Association Agreement”.
Regarding the fulfilment of Ukraine’s obligations under the AA with the EU, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is convinced that it’s the direct responsibility and the capacity of the executive bodies. According to her, the Verkhovna Rada should receive legislative proposals on the implementation of certain European integration tasks from the ministries and the Government. “We hope that after the three Deputy Prime Ministers for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration in the Governments of Ukraine have changed in 2020 — it is finally possible to set the operational arrangements in such a way that these legislative initiatives appear in Parliament and so that Parliament can do its work, and not to offer patchwork initiatives that do not fully take into account one or another EU directive or regulation”, — the Chair of the Committee said.
In her speech, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also drew attention to those areas that may be promising in the direction of Ukraine's immediate implementation of its European integration homework. According to her, the adoption of the Law on Inland Water Transport gives the Government the opportunity to start working on the inclusion of Ukrainian inland waterways in the European transport system TEN-T. According to the Chair of the Committee, infrastructure integration into the European gas transportation system, updating of the Annexes on sectoral integration into the European digital single market, transport sector, in particular, work on the transition to environmentally friendly transport and aviation fuels are also important. Ukraine should also pay close attention to sectoral integration in terms of its ambition to join the European Green Deal. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is convinced that this is a big task and, at the same time, great challenges that require additional funds - internal and external investments and direct assistance from the European Union.