European integration is the main and unchanging foreign policy priority of Ukraine, and the further development and deepening of relations between Ukraine and the EU is carried out on the principles of political association and economic integration.
The main strategic document for achieving these goals is the Association Agreement between Ukraine, on the one hand, and the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, on the other. In accordance with Article 486 of the Agreement, it was provisionally applied from November 1, 2014 until its entry into force. On September 1, 2017, after a long ratification process, the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU entered into force in full.
In terms of its scope and thematic coverage, the Agreement became the largest international legal document in the entire history of Ukraine and the largest international agreement with a third country ever concluded by the European Union. It is 1,200 pages long and consists of the following parts:
A Preamble as an introductory declaration to the Agreement, defining the purpose and basic principles of the Agreement;
Seven chapters, such as “General Principles”, “Political Cooperation and Foreign and Security Policy”, “Justice, Freedom and Security”, “Trade and Related Matters (TFTA)”, “Economic and Sectoral Cooperation”, “Financial Cooperation and Fight against Fraud”, as well as institutional, general and final provisions.
43 Annexes, which define the EU regulatory acts to be adopted by a certain date, and
Three Protocols.
The overall progress in the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine, of the one part, and the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the other part (hereinafter referred to as the Association Agreement) for 2014-2024 increased from 72% in 2022 to 77% in 2023, i.e. by 5%. In 2023, the progress in the implementation of tasks within the framework of the Association Agreement is 88%. At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has implemented 86% of the tasks.
Overall progress for 2014-2023:
• Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine – 75% of measures implemented.
• Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine – 64% of measures implemented.
• Other state authorities – 62% of measures implemented.
The Association Agreement also became a vivid demonstration of a qualitatively new format of relations between Ukraine and the EU based on the principles of “political association and economic integration”.
The full text of the report is available at the following links: in Ukrainian and English.