UKRAINE AS A MEMBER OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

Ukraine's entering the European Community was ratural and historically conditioned-Ukraine has always been the part of Europe both in keographical and in political aspect. Let's recollect that one of the first constitutions of Europe was the Pylyp Orlyk's Constitution and also the fact that when being pe part of the USSR, Ukraine became one of the UNO founders.

In May 1949, the EC was established by ten coun-! tries-founders (Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, France and Switzerland). Up to now thirty European countries including Ukraine and Russia have become the members I of this organization. The membership candidates to EC are Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina and also Croatia. Thus, the EC turned from the closed West-European club into one of the most authoritative and representative organizations of the world.

It was on the 26th of September 1995 that the EC Parliamentary Assembly supported the idea of Ukraine admission into its ranks, and on the 10th of November 1995 the EC Committee of Ministers legalized the membership of our state by the special declaration. It is significant that it happened on the same day when in 1948 UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Hu­man Rights.

Being a member of EC, Ukraine takes part in the solution of the problems which are on the agenda of the community, first of all the problems of humanitar­ian, legal, and socio-economic character. Within the framework of European Council not less than one hun­dred conventions and agreements have been concluded among the states. For example, the Convention on the. Protection of the Human Rights and Basic Liberties was signed in 1950 in Rome. Due to it, we, as the newcomers to European Community, received the access to such an achievement of civilization as the European Court on Human Rights in Strasbourg. The 1985 Euro­pean Charter of the Local Self Government, the 1987 Convention on the Prohibition of Tortures and Inhuman Treatment and Punishment Humiliating the Dignity, and also the 1995 Convention on the Protection of the Na­tional Minorities also should be mentioned.

The world more and more takes the activity of Ukraine in EC as the important factor of the European security and development. In June 1996, at the third session of the EC Parliament Assembly Ukraine was given the 3 year term to bring the Ukrainian legislation in accordance with the European standards. Ukraine will hardly fulfil this requirement. It is common knowledge that, for instance, the EC requirement to cancel the death penalty arouses plenty of discussions. However, it should be stressed that EC takes into consideration not a single adopted law but the general tendency. That is why while Ukraine is going along the path of democracy, the world will take into account our eco­nomic and social problems. Moreover, the European Community will render us the maximum possible assis­tance.

Every citizen of Ukraine must understand that Ukraine's joining the European civilization will consider­ably help us to advance slowly but surely along the road of democratization of our society. others.

*****Relations between Ukraine and the European Union were established in December 1991, when the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands as the EU Presidency, on behalf of the Union officially recognized the independence of Ukraine.The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Ukraine and the EU (PCA) signed on 16 June 1994 (entered into force on 1 March 1998) constitutes the legal base of the EU-Ukraine relations and establishes cooperation on a wide range of political, trade, economic and humanitarian issues. At present there are 7 priorities of the EU-Ukraine cooperation envisaged by the PCA's framework: energy, trade and investments, justice and home affairs, adaptation of the Ukrainian legislation to that of the EU, environment, transport, trans-border cooperation, collaboration in the sphere of science, technology and outer space. The European integration is a key priority of Ukraine's foreign policy. The EU-Ukraine dialogue is carried out through different kinds of official meetings and consultations at the high and expert levels. The EU also recognizes an important role of Ukraine in providing security and stability on the continent as well as its vast industrial and technological potential in the military sphere. The practice of inviting Ukraine to military training with the participation of the EU units is a clear confirmation of that. Ukraine and the EU actively cooperate in the framework of the Working Party on Ukraine's accession to the WTO. The EU side supports Ukraine in multilateral as well as bilateral negotiations within the WTO on the permanent basis. After 15 years of negotiations, Ukraine was invited to join the World Trade Organization on February 5, 2008. Ukraine will have to ratify the agreements by July 4, 2008, and will become a WTO member 30 days after the ratification. It will become the 152nd member of the organization

The EU-Ukraine cooperation in the sphere of justice and home affairs, in particular on the issues of granting asylum, border management, fight against money laundering and illegal drug trafficking is consistently strengthening. In the context of the EU enlargement Ukraine strives to prevent the creation of a new dividing lines in Europe and advocates non-discriminatory approach to the regime of movement of its citizens across the territory of the EU Member States. The work in this direction in particular includes: perspective introduction of long-term multiply visas for the citizens of Ukraine who take part in economic, cultural and sports exchanges with the EU on a permanent basis; simplification of visa regime for citizens of Ukraine - border areas inhabitants and in the long-term prospect - facilitation of visa regime for all categories of the Ukrainians. Ukraine and the EU proceed with dynamic cooperation in the sphere of energy, including the nuclear one, agriculture and environment. The EU is the largest donor to Ukraine. Total assistance since 1991 in the framework of the TACIS program, macro financial and humanitarian assistance amounted to more that 1 billion euro. Today Ukraine sees its main task in consolidation of the European values and standards in political, economy and social spheres, regarding it as a pledge of its public stability and sustainable development.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 828