Ukraine

Political changes caused by the so-called Orange Revolution in the autumn of 2004, have led the Ukraine to a consistent orientation of Ukraine towards the European Union. This process was still ongoing in spite of changes in the parliament and in the government. Differences between the leader of the Orange Revolution (i.e. between President Yushchenko and Prime Minister Timoshenko) continued and – in the wake of deteriorating economic situation in the year 2009 – led to the defeat of the “orange” candidates at the presidential elections of January/February 2010. The leader of the opposition Victor Yanukovych became the new President with his party taking over the leadership of the government in March 2010. Yanukovych’s aim has been to continue steering a pro-European course and at the same time to improve relations to its neighbour Russia in a sensible way. Improved neighbourly relations led to a considerably lower gas price for Ukraine in exchange for prolonging the deployment of the Russian Black Sea fleet in Sebastopol. (until 2042 rather than 2017).

Since the adoption of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in February 2005 relations between the EU and Ukraine have intensified and have developed beyond the existing Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1998. Both the ENP Action Plan and the conclusions of the External Relations Council of 21 February 2005 (which are based on the 10 proposals submitted by the then High Representative/Secretary General Solana and the then EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner) provide for expanding future development of EU-Ukraine relations. On that basis negotiations on a new agreement (i.e. an Association Agreement) which will replace the existing Partnership and Cooperation Agreement which was phased out in March 2008, have started in March 2007. A core element of the new agreement is a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement. Negotiations on such an agreement have been made possible as Ukraine has joined the WTO on 16 May 2008. Negotiations are still ongoing. In November 2009 the EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council adopted the “EU-Ukraine Association Agenda”. This Agenda replaces the EU-Ukraine Action Plan and aims at preparing and facilitating the entry into force of the new agreement.

The EU and Ukraine have set a long term goal of visa liberalisation and – at the EU-Ukraine summit of November 2010 - agreed on an Action Plan which sets concrete steps and criteria to reach this goal.