Ukraine, EU sign agreements on air travel, research
13 October 2021
The European Union and Ukraine signed documents in
Kyiv on Oct. 12 as part of the 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit. The documents were
signed in the presence of President Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the
European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula
von der Leyen, president.gov.ua announced.
Ukraine and the EU signed the agreement on the Common
Aviation Area, which will increase air ties (and air safety) while removing
monopolies on routes.
Ukraine and the EU also signed the Horizon Europe
Research and Innovation Framework Programme as well as the Creative Europe
Programme.
James Hydzik: The Common
Aviation Area signing is a consequence of Brexit, as Britain had held it up as
part of a diplomatic fight against Spain over Gibraltar. With the U.K. gone,
the signing could take place.
Horizon Europe should not be ignored, as the programs
within it are not necessarily “science for science’s sake”. Horizon Europe
programs such as the Marie Curie-Sklodowska Action (MSCA) provide an impetus
for researchers to work at Europe’s highest levels. There have been 49 separate
MSCA beneficiaries in Ukraine thus far, and without signing Horizon Europe,
access to Europe for Ukraine’s top scientists would have been impeded
greatly.
