EU-Ukraine Summit in The Hague

The European Union and Ukraine will hold their annual Summit on 8 July in The Hague. The Summit will be hosted by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, as President of the European Council, accompanied by Foreign Minister Bernard Bot. The Commission will be represented by President Prodi. Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten as well the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana will also attend. Leaders are expected to endorse the strengthening of EU-Ukraine bilateral relations through the European Neighbourhood Policy by completing work on a joint Action Plan. The EU seeks to reach early agreement on an Action Plan with measures to ensure the application of the highest democratic standards in Ukraine, and to promote efforts for continued economic and structural reform. The Summit should underline the importance of upholding the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights including media freedom. The EU will recall the importance of ensuring the democratic conduct of the upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine in October 2004, and underline the importance of impartial, unhindered and balanced media coverage during the election campaign.

Commission President Romano Prodi said: "I look forward to strengthening our relations with the Ukraine under the newly designed European Neighbourhood Policy and hope that we can make substantial progress in its common design at the summit".

The new European Neighbourhood Policy aims at strengthening the bilateral relationship by deepening trade and economic relations; strengthening co-operation in the fight against common threats, conflict prevention and crisis management; integrating transport, energy and telecommunications networks, and expanding participation in EU policies and programmes. It also aims at fostering joint efforts to promote human rights, dialogue between cultures, and people-to-people contacts. Priorities for action and specific measures should be agreed in the coming months through an Action Plan that would form the basis for future work and for monitoring progress.

An agreement will be signed in the margins of the Summit on the participation of Ukraine in the EU's police mission in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Summit will also discuss efforts to support a settlement of the Transnistria conflict in Moldova.

In the trade sphere, having now completed bilateral negotiations with Ukraine, the EU will reiterate its support for Ukraine's WTO accession. The EU will also call for the early resolution of outstanding bilateral trade issues, including the gradual elimination of export duties on metal scrap and the discrimination in the automobile sector. The Summit will note the successful conclusion of negotiations on a new bilateral agreement on trade in steel.

On the technical question of whether Ukraine should be treated with market economy status in trade defence investigations, the EU will reiterate that while progress has been made by Ukraine, action is still required to address concerns related to state interference in pricing in certain sectors and to bankruptcy law. On energy transit and environmental issues, the EU will in particular raise its concern about the Ukrainian proposal to construct a shipping canal (the 'Bystroye Canal') through the protected Danube Delta Biosphere reserve. The EU urges a halt to construction pending a full environmental impact assessment of this project.


For further information see:

The EU's relations with Ukraine - Overview:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/ukraine/intro/index.htm

http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/bilateral/countries/ukraine/index_en.htm

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