At the 19th EU-Ukraine summit on Thursday 13 July, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called on Ukraine to work on its fight against corruption.
"This is the main battle you have to win, and the EU will support you in all ways possible – including financially", he said at a press conference with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and European Council President Donald Tusk.
"The situation is not satisfactory. There is a lot to do", Juncker warned, nevertheless aware of Poroshenko's efforts and those of the president of the parliament. Juncker added that until the level of corruption decreased, investors would not go to Ukraine, and he also called for an anti-corruption court to be set up.
The three presidents nonetheless underlined the enormous reforms made by Ukraine, especially on decentralisation and reform of the judicial apparatus, the police, the public administration, energy, the banking system and trade. "The two parties agreed on the importance of continuing to speed up the reforms and to implement them sustainably", Juncker stated. The EU particularly called for implementation of structural reforms linked to macro-financial aid, including anti-corruption measures and repealing the ban on exporting timber.
Poroshenko highlighted Ukraine's progress over the last few months in bilateral relations – be this on the association agreement which, following ten years of negotiations will be fully in force on 1 September, or be it on the visa-free regime now enjoyed by Ukrainians. He stated that since 11 June, over 100,000 Ukrainians have entered the Schengen area without a visa. The EU speaks of over 95,000 Ukrainian citizens.
Poroshenko also advocated a 'Marshall Plan' for his country. "We discussed the possibilities of a long-term plan to provide support to Ukraine (...) like a Marshall Plan for Ukraine, and the possibility for Ukraine to use funds from the EU's new external investment plan", he said. He added that this would help support the efforts to stabilise his country's economy and the efforts for economic growth. "We asked for an investment conference to be held in 2018", he added.
At the summit, the EU announced it was preparing €200 million for priority programmes for 2017 "to support conflict-affected areas in the east of Ukraine; energy efficiency programmes, including contributions to the Energy Efficiency Fund established by Ukraine; public finance management; support to key reforms; and the implementation of the association agreement and deep and comprehensive free trade area", the Commission announced in a press release.
The presidents also highlighted the importance of Ukraine's territorial importance – be this regarding eastern Ukraine or Crimea.
Tusk also implied that Ukraine could become a member of the EU. "For me, the key phrase in the association agreement is, and I quote: 'the European Union acknowledges the European aspirations of Ukraine and welcomes its European choice'", he said, adding that Ukraine continued "to be as determined, as courageous and as consistent" as at the Maidan events, and that if the Ukrainians "could support the burden of reforms and not abandon them, then [they] would achieve [their] dreams and objectives", those of EU membership. He also called for them to keep their unity and to avoid domestic conflicts. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)