Ukraine to pass laws for EU agreement this week

First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Klyuev said Ukraine plans to pass the last five laws necessary for signing an association agreement with the European Union this week, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing comments made at a conference. Klyuev said Ukraine plans to sign the association agreement with the EU by mid-December. At the same event on Friday, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Štefan Füle said there has been substantial progress on the agreements and that the negotiations had moved into the final stage. Brad Wells: Ukraine is hoping to conclude the association agreement and free trade pact with the EU at the annual EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv this December, particular since Ukraine’s biggest EU champion, Poland, is now holding the presidency of the council of the EU until January 1. We view conclusion of these agreements this winter as likely, but expect a lengthy-adoption scenario by EU members over concern for Ukraine’s recent democratic record – with true benefits of the agreements for Ukraine delayed for the mid-term (see more in our politics flash note from August 9). Watch for news coming out of the EU Eastern Partnership Summit on September 29-30, in which Ukraine plans to participate.