EU and Ukraine look to the future

Date: 24/11/05

A year on from Ukraine's Orange Revolution, with EU membership effectively off the agenda, the Union and Ukraine are hoping that a raft of agreements at a summit next week will show that ties are still developing.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko will play host to his EU counterparts in Kiev next Thursday (1 December). Talks will start at the summit on easing EU visa requirements for Ukrainians, a crucial goal for the government, anxious to show that the EU is closer than before.

And after almost a year of false starts on market-economy status, Ukrainian diplomats are now confident that the EU will take the decision to reduce anti-dumping duties paid by Ukrainian exporters and ease Kiev's path to membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

"It is done, I expect the Commission to agree to this," said Roman Shpek, Ukraine's ambassador to the EU.

Yushchenko will also invite EU observers to monitor next February's parliamentary elections, while the EU is expected to announce that it will provide aid for decommissioning light munitions.

A deal is also expected on energy co-operation covering the nuclear, coal, oil and gas sectors.

The day before the summit, the EU and Ukraine will launch a mission to monitor Ukraine's southern border with Moldova and the breakaway republic of Transdniestria.

The agreements however do little to mask a growing sense of disenchantment in Ukraine at the pace of reforms and fears that next February's elections could leave the country without firm leadership.

According to Sergey Taruta, chairman of the Industrial Union of Donbass, the country is entering a phase of disillusionment.

"Last year at this time there was a lot of talk about where Ukraine was going to go...but now we are in a time of disenchantment," he said.

Under reforms introduced after the Orange Revolution, much of the power of the president will be handed over to the prime minister and parliament and critics are warning of deadlock which could affect relations with the EU.

Taruta estimates only 15% of the work has been done in preparation for an EU-Ukraine free- trade agreement.

But Ukrainian officials remain upbeat, hoping that Ukraine can join the WTO by the end of the year and begin work on a new enhanced agreement with the EU soon after.

Preview of the EU-Ukraine summit on 1 December 2005 in Kiev. Items on the agenda were: EU visa requirements for Ukrainians; Ukraine's market-economy status; Ukraine's path to membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO); Anti-dumping duties.

• Primary Source

EEAS: Countries: Ukraine http://www.eeas.europa.eu/ukraine/index_en.htm

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