The Ukrainian president, Petro Porochenko, and representatives of the European Union, including the presidents of the European Council, European Commission and European Parliament, will be meeting in Brussels on Thursday 24 November for the eighteenth EU-Ukraine summit. Although no big new announcements are expected, a high-ranking EU diplomat said on Tuesday 22 November that the summit would provide an opportunity for reaffirming the importance of a partnership based on the shared values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, adding that EU-Ukraine relations were a ‘priority’ for the EU.
The two sides will examine developments since the seventeenth summit, in Kiev, in April 2015, particularly reforms undertaken by Ukraine. The High Representative said there had been very important progress such as constitutional amendments about justice, the start of reform in public administration and decentralisation, along with new measures to tackle corruption. The summit is expected to provide an opportunity to announce new EU aid of €15 million to support the anti-corruption programme and additional aid of €104 million for reform of the civil service. The EU is also expected to announce a new programme of support for the rule of law, principally for reform of the police and judicial power.
Ukrainian officials and representatives of the EU will discuss liberalisation of the visa system for Ukrainian passport-holders as EU28 member states’ ambassadors decided on Thursday 17 November that visa liberalisation would take place at the same time as introduction of a suspension mechanism for the visa-free travel scheme. In an interview with EUROPE, the Ukrainian European and Atlantic minister, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, said she thought it was a good idea to bring both in at the same time (see EUROPE 11663). Agreement on operational cooperation between Ukraine and the European police office (Europol) is expected to be signed on the fringes of the meeting to allow for an exchange of data between the two parties.
The summit may examine the tricky question of ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement by the Netherlands. The European Summit is expected to look at the question in December, and a high-ranking official said this Thursday’s summit would provide an opportunity to demonstrate to Ukraine that the EU is actively seeking a solution.
Free-trade agreement already bearing fruit
At this first bilateral summit since the EU-Ukraine free-trade agreement came into force on 1 January 2016, the parties will assess progress in implementing the agreement, which is already having a positive impact, explained a diplomatic source on Tuesday. Between September 2015 and August 2016, Ukrainian exports to the EU rose by 5.2% and bilateral trade in general rose substantially, confirmed a European Commission source. Most EU nations have benefited and have seen their exports rise considerably, said the source.
New energy partnership
When it comes to energy cooperation, the European and Ukrainian leaders will examine reforms taken by Ukraine to update its energy sector and prospects for a winter 2016/17 package for Russian gas supplies for Ukraine.
Vice-president of the European Commission with responsibility for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič has been working for several months on getting the three-way negotiation process with Russia, Ukraine and the EU running again on supply of Russian gas for Ukraine and via Ukraine to the EU for the coming winter. Šefčovič is expected to discuss the question with the Russian authorities during a visit to Moscow on 25 November (see EUROPE 11672).
On Thursday, the summit will reaffirm Ukraine’s role as a strategic gas transit country for the EU and the importance of uninterrupted gas supplies to the EU this winter.
On the fringes of the EU-Ukraine summit, a memorandum of understanding on a strategic energy partnership to replace the 2005 energy cooperation agreement between the EU and Ukraine and reflect the new energy relations, including energy efficiency, renewables, research and de-carbonising technology.
Support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity
The Ukrainian and EU representatives will discuss the situation in east Ukraine and the Crimea, noting their attachment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukraine and the need to implement the Minsk agreements. The high-ranking EU official said the EU would encourage Ukraine to implement its own duties as it is important not to allow the blame game to be played against Ukraine. The leaders may consider the election of the new US president and the consequences this might have for Ukraine, since Donald Trump seems to want closer ties with Russia. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Emmanuel Hagry)