Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

On September 16, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the European Parliament ratified the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. This decision was supported by 355 deputies of the Verkhovna Rada and 535 MEPs.

The Association Agreement, in terms of its scope and thematic coverage, is the largest international legal document in the history of Ukraine and the largest international agreement with a third country ever concluded by the European Union. This is a road map that helps Ukraine's integration into the European Union, as well as approximates Ukraine’s legislation to the EU law. The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Ukraine and the European Union provides for a legal basis for the free movement of goods, services, capital, and partly labor between Ukraine and the EU, as well as regulatory approximation aimed at gradually integrating Ukraine's economy into the EU market.

Since the signing of the Agreement, the European Union has provided assistance to Ukraine totaling more than 16 billion Euro. Since 2017, there has been a visa-free regime for travel from Ukraine to the EU. Ukrainians have the opportunity to come to the EU countries for business or tourist purposes or for family matters for up to 90 days during a 180-day period during the year.

The European Union is Ukraine's largest trading partner with a share of trade in goods of 40.2% of the country's total foreign trade. In the first half of this year, exports of goods from Ukraine increased by 45% and reached $ 12.4 billion, (https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2021/08/12/novyna/ekonomika/minekonomiky-zayavyly- pro-zrostannya-eksport-yes-pochatku-roku) First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Lyubchenko said. Today, more than 14,000 Ukrainian companies export their products to the EU countries.

The greatest progress during the implementation of the Agreement was achieved in the areas of: entrepreneurship (81%), public procurement (83%), humanitarian policy (84%), technical barriers to trade (85%), justice, freedom, security, human rights (85%) and political dialogue, national security and defense (89%). The least progress is in the areas of: financial cooperation and anti-fraud (24%), transport, transport infrastructure, postal and courier services (35%) and the financial sector (36%).

Ukraine's accession to the European Union is supported by 64% of Ukrainians. This is demonstrated by the study, conducted by the «Rating» sociological group in the period from July 20 to August 9, 2021 in all regions of Ukraine, except for the temporarily occupied territories. Most of those who support Ukraine's European future are among young people aged 16-24: 75% of respondents are in favour of joining the EU. But even in the oldest categories, at least half of the respondents support the movement of Ukraine in the western direction. The issue of joining the European Union has regional differences - support is declining from West to East. In general, among the youngest (16-24), in contrast to the older ones, there is a tendency to consolidate around the pro-European idea of Ukraine. Even in the East, where the majority is against joining the EU, 58% of young people support Ukraine's accession to the European Union.