Ukraine

Political changes triggered 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 on-going in spite of changes in the parliament and in the government. The domestic political crisis that started in September 2008 (i.e. the break-up of the coalition of the “orange” parties) was overcome temporarily by the roll-over of that same coalition which included another minor party. Differences between the leader of the Orange Revolution (i.e. between President Yushchenko and Prime Minister Timoshenko) continued and – in the wake of a deteriorating economic situation in 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.

In March 2007 negotiations started on a new Association Agreement as a follow-up to the existing Partnership an Cooperation Agreement. A core element of the new Agreement is a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA). The negotiations on this Agreement have been concluded at the EU-Ukraine Summit in December 2011.