EU-Ukraine – A European Agenda for

EU-Ukraine – A European Agenda for Reform

1
16 May 2014

The European Agenda for Reform which has been jointly developed over the last weeks by the Ukrainian Government on the one side and the
European External Action Service and the European Commission on the other side, is a comprehensive action plan of the Commission's
contribution to the paramount task of the development and fundamental transformation of Ukraine launched by the Government. The document
combines Ukraine's short- and medium-term needs and matches them with support actions from the EU side. It provides clear indications on
specific steps, the timelines and points of contacts in the respective administrations.
Both sides started to jointly build up the contents of the European Agenda on the occasion of the visit to Kiev of a high level delegation from the
European Commission headed by Commissioners Füle and Lewandowski, on 25-26 March of this year, with the support of the EU Delegation in
Kiev. Since that time the Agenda has evolved and got richer, more actions have been added and their implementation has progressed steadily.
Today, the European Agenda for Reform has grown into a credible roadmap, which is not only about the smooth delivery of the EU support
package, but encompasses a wide-ranging set of measures that reflect the priorities of the Ukrainian government and the expectations of the
Ukrainian people. Its measures range from assistance to constitutional reform to cooperation on energy matters, from financial assistance by the
EU to the unilateral opening of its markets for Ukrainian products, from the reform of the judiciary to the visa liberalisation process.
The decision to make it public will enable an open discussion with the representatives of the Ukrainian civil society on the major direction and
the specific actions foreseen. This Agenda has been conceived as a living document that should be able to take stock of progress and reflect
evolving priorities. Thus it is always possible to adjust it to the changing situation, to ensure an adequate matching between needs and actions,
thereby furthering the consultation process.
The implementation of the European Agenda for Reform is a joint effort of both sides and will be coordinated on the one hand, through the
Support Group for Ukraine set up by the European Commission and on the other hand the institution within the Government of Ukraine dealing
with the process of European integration. These bodies will be in contact and interact regularly, ensuring that there is consistency between the
need of Ukraine and the assistance offered by the EU. Such close cooperation and coordination can ensure that in case of problems and obstacles
prompt action be taken to let the implementation of the Agenda progress smoothly.
It should be noted that less than two months since the launch of this process, several of the measures indicated in the European Agenda have
already been implemented or launched. It confirms that there is clear added value in framing mutual commitments in visible, incremental and
operational terms.
Recent milestones in the implementation of the European Agenda for Reform include:
• The new “State Building Contract” programme signed on 13 May, worth €355 m