The 12th meeting of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee took place

The participants discussed the relations between Ukraine and the EU, their parliamentary dimension, in particular, the implementation of the Association Agreement; the priority areas of reforms in Ukraine, energy security and building a reliable energy partnership between Ukraine and the European Union.

PAC Co-Chair Witold Waszczykowski noted the tangible results of the 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit, which took place on October 12. He also stressed that Russia's hybrid war against Ukraine had recently intensified, especially in the energy sector. Witold Waszczykowski drew attention to the fact that hybrid attacks had already affected the EU's Eastern borders: “On the Eastern borders of the EU, we are experiencing an acute border crisis, when the Belarusian authorities use large groups of migrants. So now the eastern border of Poland is also directly experiencing a kind of hybrid attack”.

PAC Co-Chair Vadym Halaichuk reaffirmed the importance of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU as a tool not only for Ukraine's gradual integration into the European Union: “We consider the Association Agreement and the process of approximation of Ukrainian legislation to the EU law a very important basis for reforms in Ukraine”. Vadym Halaichuk noted that despite the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine continued to implement the reforms. He informed that on October 19 the Verkhovna Rada had passed a law strengthening the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). This law provides for a special status of NABU as a central executive body. The Cabinet of Ministers will not be able to interfere in its activities. A law to resume the activities of the High Council of Justice and unblock the judiciary was also adopted. It provides for the formation of the Ethics Council at the High Council of Justice. This council will determine the candidate's compliance with the criteria of professional ethics and integrity as a member of the High Council of Justice.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, First Deputy Chair of the Ukrainian part of the PAC, noted that many issues in Ukraine needed close attention from international partners. This applies to judicial reform: “One can positively assess the adoption of the laws that unblocked this reform, but we should understand that Ukraine lost two important years when this reform was actually stopped. We are already feeling the effects of the inaction we have observed over these two years. I hope that the anti-corruption procedures provided for in the recently adopted laws will work quickly”. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze drew the participants' attention to the situation around the National Bank of Ukraine. According to her, the independence of this key financial institution is now under threat. She is also convinced that Western partners should take a closer look at the draft law on the security service reform. It has already passed the first reading in the Verkhovna Rada. Despite the fact that this project brings the security service closer to international practices, it reduces the control function of the Parliament. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also noted that there was a tendency to violate electoral procedures and freedom of election in Ukraine, as well as to restrict freedom of speech. The First Deputy Chair of the Ukrainian part of the PAC touched upon the issue of the Eastern Partnership as one of the instruments of cooperation with the EU. According to her, the EU should respond to the Associated Trio initiative (of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova) towards European integration. The EU should apply the same enlargement policy to these countries as to the Western Balkans, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze stressed. She also expressed hope that the security component would finally be reflected in the Eastern Partnership agenda.

The participants of the meeting discussed energy security in the region and the situation on the gas market. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze stated that Russia already used gas as a weapon and called on the European Union to be consistent in supporting Ukraine and its energy security: “We hope that the EU will be strong in our joint fight against Russian aggression. I think we will all finally stop pretending that Russia is not using various tools to attack not only Ukraine but the EU as well. This is already happening - through Belarus, Russia is attacking Poland and Lithuania in waves of migrants. Rising gas prices is used as a tool to strike at the unity of the EU, as well as Ukraine's transit capacity to supply gas to European countries”. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze called for transparency and honesty in resolving these issues, as well as for a common policy of compliance and increasing sanctions against the Russian Federation.