The European Union and Ukraine, according to a draft joint declaration of the 23rd EU/Ukraine summit scheduled for 12 October in Kiev and of which EUROPE has received a copy, should welcome the many advances made by this country.
For example, the 11-page draft from the office of the President of the European Council dated 6 September, which was to be discussed on 8 September by the ambassadors of the Member States to the EU, contains the word “welcomed” no less than 30 times.
The declaration by the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and Ukraine should reaffirm the “continued commitment to strengthen Ukraine’s political association and economic integration with the EU on the basis of the Association Agreement and its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA)”. According to the Union and Kyiv, this reinforcement will include the continuation of “close cooperation to strengthen the Rule of law, advance reforms, foster sustainable economic growth, support green and digital transitions and increase resilience”.
The Association Agreement and the DCFTA are at the heart of the draft text, which welcomes the results already achieved in the implementation of the agreement and the “success” of the DCFTA, “which has supported the substantial increase in bilateral trade flows since the start of its implementation in January 2016, with the EU being Ukraine’s largest trading partner”.
Both sides could also look forward to further economic integration and regulatory approximation under the agreement, citing ongoing work on tariff removal, the Green Deal and Ukraine’s green transition, climate, connectivity, telecommunications and digital, or the Agreement on Conformity and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA) (see EUROPE 12424/18).
The Union and Ukraine should also recall the importance of further cooperation towards the integration of Ukraine’s energy markets and systems into the EU energy market and reaffirm Ukraine’s role as a strategic transit country for gas.
The summit could also be an opportunity to sign the agreements on the Common Aviation Area and on Ukraine’s membership of the Horizon Europe programme.
At the summit, the two sides are also expected to take stock of the review of the Association Agreement “with a view to a joint assessment to be presented at the 2022 bilateral summit in Brussels”.
Furthermore, the declaration should welcome Ukraine’s reform efforts, notably in the judicial field, the fight against corruption, and land. “We agreed on the need to accelerate and further strengthen these efforts”, the Presidents should add.
They may also consider that cooperation in the field of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) should be further strengthened, noting Ukraine’s willingness to participate in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects. The EU could also promise to examine where the European Peace Facility could be useful in building Ukraine’s resilience.
The document also refers to the “high level of solidarity, unity and mutual commitment” demonstrated in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Finally, as usual, the EU should reiterate its unwavering support and commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)