The European Commission presented an Association Implementation Report on Ukraine covering the timeline from 1 December 2020 until 24 February 2022.
Before the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine started by russia, the greatest progress was achieved in the areas of digital transformation and land reform. The entry into force of the Law “On the Circulation of Agricultural Land” and the relevant legislation was a great step forward, as the land market was opened on July 1, 2021.
Ukraine continued notable reform progress in a wide range of areas relating to the Association Agreement, for example in digital transformation, customs and climate action, while reforms in areas such as environmental protection, energy and labour, audio-visual media faced challenges.
Trade between the EU and Ukraine rebounded in 2021 reaching €52 billion. The EU remains by far Ukraine’s biggest trading partner. Both sides agreed on a Priority Action Plan to enhance the implementation of the DCFTA, including concrete measures to improve market access and facilitate trade. There has been some progress on the preparatory work towards an eventual Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products and on the approximation with the EU Digital Single Market strategy.
The strategic goal to connect Ukrainian power grid to the Continental European Network CEN (grid synchronization) was a top priority for Ukraine in the energy sector.
The report indicates that Ukraine has continued to make significant progress in the area of digital transformation. In some instances this has already contributed to a more efficient and transparent government and the fight against corruption. Ukraine was among the first countries whose digital COVID-19 certificates were recognised by the EU.
Effective cooperation with its international partners, beginning with the EU, has also continued to help Ukraine bolster its resilience to challenges such as that of the COVID-19 pandemic. New EU-Ukraine dialogues on Green Deal and cyber security offered good examples of expanding cooperation in areas of joint strategic interest.
The rule of law and fight against corruption remained, justifiably, at the centre of reform efforts and engagement with international partners, including critical reform of Ukraine’s judiciary. Pursuing efforts to build and strengthen modern institutions such as the new Bureau of Economic Security, and efficient systems needed for example to tackle economic crime, will be instrumental in promoting investment, growth and prosperity.
In the end, the report reinstates that the European Union will continue, with all the means at its disposal, to support Ukraine in its EU integration endeavour.
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