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we are focusing so much on our negotiations on the enhanced agreement and a free trade zone. This new agreement will pave the way for European unification and there should be a clear action plan for Ukraine at some point to become a fully fledged member of the EU. Oleg Zarubinsky Deputy chairman of the People’s Party, Lytvyn bloc The People’s Party, which serves as the basis for the Lytvyn bloc, started cooperating with a number of political parties in the European parliament as early as 2005. Between March 2006 and September 2007 the party was not represented in the Ukrainian parliament, and this could not fail to impact on the intensity of its contacts with MEPs. Today, mutual relations have been restored and are gradually being fleshed out. Our colleagues in the European parliament have indicated their positive intentions, though we understand that due to inertia and the influence of periodic one-sided and tendentious media campaigns, some of them continue to hold blinkered views on the political forces in Ukraine and the leaders that emerged from the 2004 Orange revolution. But as time passes, things will become clearer and a real understanding of the meaning of political processes and politicians in Ukraine will gradually emerge. For us, Ukraine-EU parliamentary cooperation committee has become an important channel of cooperation with the European parliament. Its effectiveness in promoting Ukraine’s membership of the EU depends greatly on the activities and determination of the committee members, but also on the extent to which governments within the member states take into account their MEPs’ stance on Ukrainian integration. The same is true for EU officials and the European commission as a whole. This, in our view, is the crux of the problem. EU institutions and executive powers in EU countries have reacted somewhat inadequately to the requests of both the committee and the European parliament to open the prospect of EU accession for Ukraine, to bring our relations to a new qualitative level. I hope that during the negotiations between Ukraine and the EU on the new enhanced agreement the views of both MEPs and Ukrainian MPs will be taken into account. As to the new agreement, my political group believes that it is important that it is free from declarations and abstract maxims and concentrates exclusively on specific directions and parameters of cooperation. In this way both Ukraine and the EU can ensure positive results. In the new agreement we want to pay special attention to the creation of a free trade area with the EU, which should be mutually beneficial. The actual competitive ability of Ukrainian and European economies should be taken into account, and the FTA establishment should, no doubt, be asymmetric. The Ukrainian economy should be given a longer period of transition to the FTA and the EU should give serious assistance to Ukraine’s harmonisation with the EU in areas such as standardisation, and certification. Ukrainian society needs to see specific positive examples of cooperation with the EU, instead of passively observing negative tendencies, for instance, in EU visa policy. I will be honest, relations in the visa sphere, one of the key issues for Ukraine, are not mirroring each other. The Supreme Council (Verkhovna Rada) has ratified a package of two agreements on readmission and visa facilitation. Ukrainian MPs have understood that due to a lack of similar agreements with Russia and Belarus, the agreement on readmission with the EU might cause serious problems for our country, yet they have agreed to ratify it in view of the potential for compensation in the visa facilitation agreement. But roughness toward “We understand the internal problems of the EU, but none of them justifies its current visa policy for Ukrainians” Oleg Zarubinsky visa applicants and the humiliation of Ukrainian citizens in the consulates of many EU countries strongly undermine the prestige of those countries. We are seeing that in some EU member states, Ukrainians are treated as third-class citizens. Unfortunately, there have been many such instances. The EU must revise its visa policy, otherwise it will be difficult for us to explain to the Ukrainian people why EU citizens may enter our country freely, while Ukrainians are facing a new Berlin Wall. We understand the internal problems of the EU, but none of them justifies its current visa policy for Ukrainians. The EU can overcome these problems, and we would like EU officials to direct their efforts to the solutions. Though we understand that the EU is going through a complicated period, I’m sure that it will not disintegrate due to Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon treaty, as some experts have predicted. The EU did not disintegrate following the rejection of the European constitution in France and the Netherlands. The fact that Europe is searching for its institutional identity is not a disadvantage: quite the contrary. Finding a balance and harmony between integration and preservation of the national character of each member state is a difficult and long-term process, but Europeans will find the best institutional option for the union. And it will happen before Ukraine is invited to join the EU. 8 September 2008 PARLIAMENT MAGAZINE 11 Special Issue 8 September 2008 EU-Ukraine summit special “Our aim is full membership of the EU and any other form of relations will not be acceptable to Ukraine” Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko on trade, security and the country’s ambitious march towards EU membership electus making the right connection Going round in circles? Make the leap! Electus is the natural recruitment partner in public affairs and corporate communications For an informative, yet confidential, conversation with one of our consultants please call +32 (0)2 285 0890 or visit www.electus-gro EU-Ukraine summit special CONTENTS Special Issue 8 September 2008 4 The heart of the matter Viktor Yushchenko argues that any new agreement with the EU will be meaningless without Ukraine’s membership perspective at its heart 4 6 A sense of direction Leading Ukrainian parliamentarians explain INTRODUCTION | Ukrainian president The heart of the matter Viktor Yushchenko argues that any new agreement with the EU will be meaningless without Ukraine’s membership perspective at its heart A long time ago the Ukrainian state and Ukrainian society unanimously determined their course towards to it since 1993, when important state documents laid down that the “final aim of Ukrainian foreign policy is Ukraine’s membership of the EU”. Today, we are developing a new format for our relations with the EU. The key task is to move from partnership to political association and economic int VERKHOVNA RADA | MP comment A sense of direction Leading Ukrainian parliamentarians explain how they see the unfolding of Ukraine’s EU aspirations Mykhailo Papiev, Party of Regions Shadow minister for labour and social affairs Over the past few years Ukraine has been talked about a great deal in Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Our party began discussions long ago with the political parties in the European parliament. Over the past few months I personally met representatives from the EPP, ALDE and socialist and left-wing parties. The main conclusion is that the restraint towards the Party VERKHOVNA RADA | MP comment should be resolved locally and only those issues that cannot be resolved locally should be transferred to national level and, if necessary, to European level. Ukraine has already integrated to a considerable extent into the EU. The new enhanced agreement should cover all Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry cooperation are greatly affected by the so-called Russian factor. Unfortunately, until today, many Ukrainian politicians, social organisations and ordinary citizens have, if not a nostalgic sympathy for their former parent state, then at least have some considerati VERKHOVNA RADA | MP comment Photo: EU-Ukraine Business Council A concert held for Europe Day in Kyiv, May 2008 parties, including the UMP in France, Sweden’s Moderaterna, Platforma Obywatelska in Poland and Hungary’s Fidesz. In the autumn of 2005, Our Ukraine was awarded observer status by th we are focusing so much on our negotiations on the enhanced agreement and a free trade zone. This new agreement will pave the way for European unification and there should be a clear action plan for Ukraine at some point to become a fully fledged member of the EU. Oleg Zarubinsky Deputy chairman o EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT | MEP comment On the right track? 12 PARLIAMENT MAGAZINE 8 September 2008 Matt Williams Jacek Saryusz-Wolski EPP-ED, Poland Chair, parliament’s foreign affairs committee The new enhanced agreement should definitely include measures on achieving Ukraine’s economic integration as quickly as possible through establishment of the free trade area. On the political level, there should be Agriculture & fisheries supported by CropLife International & ECPA Culture & education supported by Comunicación Cáceres 2016 Economic & monetary affairs IN ASSOCIATION WITH supported by ING Employment & social affairs supported by Aviva Energy supported by BG Group Engineering & technology There is no point in stopping plans for future enlargement because of the crisis in Georgia and the controversies in EU-Russian relations. On the contrary, those plans should be accelerated and the EU should have a clearer and a more audacious view of its geopolitical identity and ambitions. The sum EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT | MEP comment Grazyna Staniszewska ALDE, Poland Member of the delegation to the EU-Ukraine PCC The title ‘association agreement’ sounds interesting, but it all depends on the content of the document. The title alone is not enough to mobilise Ukrainian citizens and the count Bridging east and west Ukraine is becoming the first victim of both Europe’s and Russia’s energy selfishness, warns Yuri Boyko Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry F or over 50 years, energy security has been one of the main concerns for Europe’s politicians. The crises of the 1950s and 1960s ENERGY | Yuri Boyko Yuri Boyko was Ukraine’s energy minister from 2006 to 2007 of the driving forces behind the country’s economic renewal in the 1990s. The new century brought in its wake even better prospects. Positioned at the crossroads of energy supply routes from east to west Europe, Ukr EU-UKRAINE SUMMIT | New enhanced agreement The waiting game Ukraine has high expectations for the forthcoming EU-Ukraine summit, but it remains unclear just what sort of agreement will be reached, writes Sarah Collins A s this article goes to print, news is filtering through from Kyiv that the ru French institute for international relations, thinks an interim solution can be found within the ENP – but a much more comprehensive ENP than is currently in place. For her, the ENP doesn’t go far enough to create a coherent foreign policy for the EU’s eastern neighbours. Ferrero-Waldner’s p EU-UKRAINE SUMMIT | New enhanced agreement Ukraine: Country statistics Ukraine is located in central east Europe and is bordered by Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and the Russian Federation Ukraine’s territory stretches for 893km from north to south, and for 1316km from west Driving Change. Inspiring Growth. T he Foundation for Effective Governance is a Ukrainian foundation, whose objective is to encourage the development of long-term national economic programs through the formulation of practical policy solutions to the political, economic and social challenges facin ENERGY | EU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs The energy question Ukraine is the most important transit country for EU energy, says Andris Piebalgs, and a new enhanced agreement should draw it closer to the union A round 80 per cent of all Russian gas destined for Europe transits Ukraine. Russian oil A pumping station at the end of the ‘Druzhba’ (meaning ‘friendship’) pipeline in the eastern German refinery PCK Schwedt Energy roundtable 10 September The EU-Ukraine Business Council, Open Ukraine Foundation and the mission of the Ukraine to the EU are organising a roundtable meeting to di SECURITY AND DEFENCE | Ukraine-Nato relations The domino effect The Georgia crisis has changed the political situation on the Eurasian map, writes Irina Khokhlova I f I had written an article about the Ukraine-Nato relationship a month ago, I would have done it completely differently, and that’ “The Bucharest decision on Ukraine and Georgia is clear: both countries will become Nato members in due course” In the aftermath of the Georgian crisis, some Nato countries have started saying that the decision of the Bucharest summit was a mistake and Kyiv and Tbilisi must join the MAP as soon SECURITY AND DEFENCE | Ukraine-Nato relations ������� The Ukrainian foreign ministry in Kyiv Irina Khokhlova is staff correspondent at the news agency, Interfax-Ukraine The official Ukrainian position on Nato is well known and was again reiterated by Ukrainian president Viktor Yushc Providing an authoritative forum to examine the impact of EU investment in the Regions, The Parliament Magazines Regional Review gives EU institutions and decision makers the opportunity to read about developments and best practice in regional policy. The European Regional Champion Awards unite Eur GOVERNMENT | Constitutional change Ukraine at the crossroads To determine Ukraine’s geopolitical future, the country must first find its place in the world, writes Serhii Rakhmanin T oday Ukraine is going through one of the most complex periods in its history. Firstly, the country’s permanent “On the one hand, the unfinished democratic, economic, institutional and legislative reform process impedes the opportunity for any rapid accession to European and Euro-Atlantic structures, and on the other hand, makes it incapable of countering the political influence and the economic pressures o For accurate, real-time, tailored political information Dods EU Monitoring specialises in delivering real-time and tailored monitoring to the political and decision making community. Our ten person strong team service a wide range of multinational corporations, trade associations and interest groups Terror by famine Historian Stanislav Kulchytsky says that the 1932-33 Ukrainian famine was state-engineered terror carried out to pre-empt social upheaval U ntil the end of 1932, Ukrainians – as well as people in other regions of the USSR – were dying because their bread was taken from them. B HISTORY | 1932-33 Famine Residents of the village of Krasylivka, Ukraine, who survived the 1932-33 famine, pose for a group photo made in 1934 Dr Stanislav Kulchytsky is a Ukrainian historian, professor and deputy director of the Institute of Ukrainian History at the National Academy of Sciences School of Law Europe at your fingertips LLM/Cert in European Union Law by Distance Learning The most flexible way to study European Union law. Enjoy dedicated 24/7 support on the broadest range of modules, delivered by an experienced team of research-driven academics and practitioners. 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