Ukraine, EU still disagree on key Association requirements

Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov met with European Union leaders on June 24 in Luxembourg to discuss the remaining steps for signing the Association Agreement. Significant hurdles still remain, reported the Kommersant-Ukrayina newspaper.

The biggest differences remain the EU demand that Ukraine adopt a permanent Election Code – which Azarov said won’t happen this year – and the demand that the Ukrainian government arrange for the release of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, which remains a big question mark. “There can be no talk of signing the Association Agreement without the law on prosecution, the law on elections and without democratic revotes in five districts,” said Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner for Enlargement. The leaders updated the agenda for signing the agreement, which introduced new requirements but eliminated others. The judiciary reform requirements widened significantly, the newspaper reported.

Azarov agreed to lead the Ukrainian government in approving laws to reform the state prosecution, tax code and police, which will take into account recommendations from the Venice Commission at the Council of Europe. Azarov agreed to support amending some points of the controversial referendum law, which his government had earlier resisted, but remained firm in his reluctance to support adopting an election code in the required timeframe.