Ukraine deputy PM: 'We chose a realistic path to EU integration'

Published in EurActiv

Ukraine is making steady progress towards EU membership, but is aware of the difficulties which lie ahead amid an unfavourable global economic context, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria, responsible for European integration, told EurActiv in an exclusive interview.

The EU and Ukraine are preparing an association agreement which notably includes a free trade deal. What is the tentative timetable for this, and what areas could be difficult for Ukraine, justifying special measures like transition periods?

The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement is principally a new document with the free trade area as its key element. 

At the start of the negotiation process, we jointly chose a so-called FTA+ model. It envisages not only improved terms of trade with the EU, but also deeper integration of our markets. It is to be achieved through comprehensive legislative approximation with EU standards. In practice, Ukraine must within a very short time transpose into national legislation a vast body of European norms and rules which have evolved in the EU for years. 

As far as the duration of negotiations is concerned, for Ukraine the priority is the quality of negotiations and their results. Our negotiating teams currently concentrate on the contents of the Agreement; [and] in particular, [the] transitional periods required for [the] most sensitive sectors of the Ukrainian economy. 

Read the full interview on EurActiv