While preparations for the accession negotiations are underway and the negotiations will be conducted, Ukraine and the EU should use the progress in the adaptation of legislation to adopt joint decisions that improve market access and ensure economic convergence between Ukraine and the EU. First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko said about it during a joint meeting of the Government of Ukraine and the European Commission.

“We have a plan to end the saga with the industrial visa-free regime and enter into an Agreement on Access of Ukrainian Goods to the EU Market (ACAA). Unfortunately, the war has slowed down the pace of assessment missions, but they will be carried out and the agreement will be concluded.

The mechanism of work on the ACAA is a model with regard to other areas where Ukraine intends to integrate into the EU single market. And the depth of assessing legislation compliance fully meets the requirements of the EU accession negotiations,” commented Yuliia Svyrydenko on the bilateral talks.

According to her, Ukraine provided the EU with an updated report on the implementation of recommendations made at the previous stages as well as tables of compliance of draft acts on market surveillance that are yet to be adopted. Ukraine and the EU have also made good progress in the process of mutual opening of public procurement markets. In addition, Ukraine is to join the EU roaming agreement by the end of this year.

“Just before the meeting of the European Commission and the Government, we agreed on the text of the decision on roaming. This year, this area will be a pilot project for Ukraine’s full legal integration into the intra-European framework.

In general, while preparations for Ukraine’s accession to the EU are in progress, we have to integrate in all possible areas – from customs and energy to food safety,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko.

The Minister of Economy of Ukraine noted that the EU was Ukraine’s main trading partner. This happened due to the EU’s decision to apply autonomous trade measures in the form of the abolition of all duties, the agreement on carriage by road and the effective implementation of logistics solidarity lanes. It is important for Ukraine to maintain duty-free imports of our goods to the European Union until the end of 2024.

“To increase the efficiency of trade, the Ministry of Economy and DG Trade have agreed on an updated Priority Action Plan to strengthen the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement. The main focus of this plan is Ukraine’s integration into the EU single market.

The plan includes 29 measures that allow completing existing projects, such as the ACAA, and starting work on integration into the single market in all areas suitable for this, including updating the necessary annexes to the agreement, monitoring compliance with legislation and approving decisions on market opening. I repeat that our goal is to integrate into the EU single market not waiting for the EU accession,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko.

The Government will insist on the expediency of extending the EU’s autonomous trade measures as well as the agreement on carriage of goods by road. This is necessary both to support Ukraine’s economy and to prepare for the economic integration of Ukraine and the EU.

The joint meeting also discussed the future process of economic and infrastructural recovery of Ukraine. The parties reached a consensus that attracting private capital would be the most effective.

“The key to economic recovery is the active role and involvement of private capital. As of today, the main issue for private businesses is to insure the military risks of those operating in Ukraine. We say that the EU and its member states should encourage national institutions that insure war risks to increase the supply of their services to invest in Ukraine,” reminded Yuliia Svyrydenko.

Another issue for discussion was the integration of the labour markets of Ukraine and the EU.  After all, many Ukrainians have already integrated into the EU labour markets and are helping EU countries overcome challenges for their economies.

“But for Ukraine, the main thing is to give Ukrainians the opportunity to return to Ukraine as soon as possible and work on our economic well-being at home. However, it is obvious that the experience of labour migration both before and in the course of a large-scale war shows that full mutual assurance of freedom of labour force movement and integration of the labour market are in the interests of both the EU and Ukraine.

So, while political discussions on the accession negotiations are still ongoing, we are working on the systemic economic integration of Ukraine and the EU, which is the basis of all integration processes on the continent,” summarized Yuliia Svyrydenko.

For reference:

The European Union is Ukraine’s major trading partner. In 2021, the specific weight of trade in goods with the EU amounted to 39.6% of Ukraine’s total trade. In January-November 2022, this figure was 55.5%.

Ukraine’s exports to the EU are mainly made up of:

• cereals – 15.9%;
• fats and oils – 10.9%;
• seeds and fruits of oilseeds – 10.3%;
• ferrous metals – 10.2%;
• ores and slags – 8.9%;
• electric machines – 8.5%;
• wood and wood products – 6.0%;
• energy materials – 3.4%.