Ukraine needs to reset E.U. association pact, Stefanyshyna says

Ukraine needs to begin discussions with the E.U. in
2021 to reset the Association Agreement, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanyshyna
said in a column for the eurointegration.com.ua news site, published on July
29. New developments have emerged in recent years, including the Single Digital
Market, deeper financial integration and the European Green Agreement, the
fulfillment of which will influence a series of economic sectors, she said.
“That’s why, in its integration, Ukraine must be oriented on the E.U. of the
2020 model, not from 2010, which will be the case if to leave the agreement the
way it is now,” she wrote, identifying electronic communications, technical
regulations, the launch of entrepreneurial activity, ecological defense and
services as sectors that will need conditions rewritten for deeper integration.

Another priority will be the gradual removal of
tariffs and non-tariff barriers for Ukrainian exports. Stefanyshyna said she
has begun a dialogue with Ukrainian business, in which 24 of the largest
organizations have begun to draft their proposals. In particular, agriculture
firms face quotas on their exports – in exchange for relief from duties – which
nonetheless need to be raised. “Quicker liberalization and transition period
are also needed for eliminating import duties for industrial goods,” she wrote.

Zenon Zawada: It’s reasonable to seek the resetting of the Ukraine-E.U. Association
Agreement in light of the dramatic changes that have occurred in the last ten
years. And it’s reasonable for Ukraine to expect E.U. cooperation. Needless to
say, those issues related to updating Ukraine’s legislation and requirements
are going to be easier to achieve than access to the E.U. market for Ukrainian
goods. The biggest danger is that the lack of progress in enhancing access to
the E.U. market being exploited by pro-Russian forces in their propaganda.