Brussels, 19/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - With Commissioner Stefan Füle in Ukraine and Europeans calling for progress to be made, scrutiny of the draft law allowing prisoners (including the former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko) to be transferred abroad will not take place until Thursday 21 November at the Ukrainian parliament. “On Thursday, we shall begin examining laws with a view to European integration”, Volodymyr Rybak, the speaker of the Rada, said on 19 November, specifying that this included receiving healthcare abroad for detainees. The parliament is also expected to pass the electoral laws and the laws on the general prosecutor's office on second reading.
The EU is, for its part, keeping up the pressure (see EUROPE 10965). A French source familiar with the debate underway explained that “everyone is aware of the geostrategic importance of securing Ukraine (…) but one should not do so at any price”, going on to add that “tangible elements are needed on selective justice, and democratic governance. Reforms are needed (…), sufficiently strong signs before Vilnius”.
The same source pointed out that the association agreement must be ratified by the parliament of each member state and that there must be arguments to say in what conditions it was signed. Also, the vice-president of the European Parliament, Rebecca Harms, specified that, if the transfer of Tymoshenko to Germany is not possible, “the EP will find it extremely hard to give its go-ahead to the association agreement”. She went on to add: “I would find it difficult to imagine that a president, a government and a parliamentary majority are able to remain without moving for irrational reasons, out of a thirst for vengeance”.
Hannes Swoboda, President of the S&D Group at the EP, believed it was necessary to sign the agreement and to use the time of ratification to take discussions with Ukraine forward. It would be “disappointing not to trigger the ratification process”, he argued, saying: “We have to sign and, during the ratification process, there is considerable margin for discussion to improve the judiciary system and others”. Swoboda believed that “if we lose Ukraine (…) this will have a negative domino effect”. “It would be a strategic disaster if the EU were to throw Ukraine and the other countries out to Russia”.
Russia takes the view that the EU is exercising “unforgivable” pressure on the countries of the Eastern Partnership. “If you compare our … honorable and collegial position with that of some representatives from the European Union, then arguably unforgivable pressure is being applied from that side on the focus (Ed: ex-Soviet) states”, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In his view, Europeans say “you should make your choice but that choice must be in favour of the EU otherwise you will be lost” (our translation throughout). (CG/transl.jl)