The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement prior to the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit

• Authors: Gunta Pastore
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper seeks to explore how the EU policy on Ukraine evolved in the run-up to the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November 2013. In particular, it looks into the preparations leading to the signature of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Thereby it contributes to better understanding of the EU policy debate related to the associated negotiations with the Eastern Partnership countries. Prior to the Vilnius Summit there were high expectations that signature of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement would become a key deliverable of the summit. After the EU had postponed the signing of the agreement due to Ukraine’s backsliding in democracy for several times, the process gained new momentum in 2013. It is suggested that exogenous factors, such as Russia’s increasing pressure on Ukraine, contributed to consolidating the EU position. However, at the last minute Ukraine suspended its signature of the agreement at the Vilnius Summit. While Ukraine’s domestic developments and Yanukovych’s deals with Russia can be blamed for this fiasco, the EU Member States take a large share of responsibility. Lack of creativity to find a way out of the deadlock, as well as lack of the political will on the part of EU leaders to fight for Ukraine explains why the Association Agreement turned out as a missed opportunity.

Keywords

EN

Association Agreement; Eastern Partnership; EU; Russia; Ukraine

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Baltic Journal of European Studies
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 5-19

Dates

published

2014-10-01

online

2014-11-05

Contributors

author

Gunta Pastore

• Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Latvia Lomonosova Street 1A, Riga LV-1019, Latvia

References

• Åslund, A. (2013), ‘How Putin Lost Ukraine,’ The Moscow Times, 21 August 2013. Retrieved from http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/how-putin-lostukraine484823.html [accessed Sep 2014] Barkin, N. (2014), ‘Russia ties compound German dilemma in Ukraine Crisis,’ Reuters, 3 March 2014. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/03/usukraine-crisis-germany-idUSBREA2215120140303
• CEPS (2012), ‘The Ukraine Question,’ European Neighbourhood Watch, CEPS, no. 80 (March). Retrieved from http://www.ceps.eu/system/files/simplenews/2011/05/NWatch80.pdf [accessed Sep 2014] EEAS (2012), Joint statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Štefan Füle on the parliamentary elections in Ukraine (28 October 2012), A 502/12, EEAS, 12 November 2012. Retrieved from http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/133444.pdf [accessed Sep 2014] -- (2013), Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on Ukraine, 131121/04, EEAS, 22 November 2013. Retrieved from http://eeas.europa.eu/statements/docs/2013/131121_04_en.pdf [accessed Sep 2014] EurActiv (2012), ‘Ukraine seeks thaw in relations with the EU,’ EurActiv, 19 November 2012. Retrieved from http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/ukraine-wants-euagenda-unfrozen-news-516113 [accessed Sep 2014] European Parliament (2013), European Parliament resolution on the pressure exerted by Russia on Eastern Partnership countries (in the context of the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius), 2013/2826 (RSP), European Parliament, 12 September 2013.
• European Union (2011), Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit, Warsaw, 14983/11 PRESSE 341, Council of the European Union, 29-30 September 2011. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/eastern_partnership/documents/warsaw_summit_declaration_en.pdf [accessed Sep 2014] -- (2012), ‘EU Council Conclusions on Ukraine,’ 3209th Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Council of the European Union, 10 December 2012. Retrieved from http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/134136.pdf [accessed Sept 2014] -- (2013), 16th EU-Ukraine Summit: Joint Statement, 6811/13 PRESSE 72, Council of the European Union, 25 February 2013. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/135667.pdf [accessed Sep 2014] Federal Foreign Office (2013), ‘Foreign Minister Westerwelle Meets First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine,’ Federal Foreign Office Press Release, 30 July 2013.
• Financial Times (2013), ‘Ukraine has postponed an opportunity to prosper,’ Debattartikel, 22 November 2013. Retrieved from http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/7416/a/229097 [accessed Sep 2014] Kiev Ukraine News Blog (2013), ‘Yanukovych meets Putin to discuss trade,’ 27 May 2013. Retrieved from http://news.kievukraine.info/2013/05/sochi-russiapresident-viktor.html [accessed Sep 2014] Konończuk, W. (2013), ‘Ukraine withdraws from signing the Association Agreement’, OSW, 27 November 2013. Retrieved from http://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2013-11-27/ukraine-withdraws-signing-association-agreement-vilniusmotives- and [accessed Sep 2014] KyivPost (2012), ‘Fule: EU-Ukraine Association Agreement to be initialed within a month,’ 28 February 2012. Retrieved from http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/fule-eu-ukraine-association-agreement-to-be-initia-123265.html?flavour=mobile [accessed Sep 2014] -- (2013a), EU hopes for technical approval of the Association Agreement by the end of year,’ 16 October 2013. Retrieved from http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/brussels-hopes-for-technical-approval-of-ukraine-eu-associationagreement-by-end-of-year-314457.html [accessed Sep 2014] -- (2013b), ‘The EU should continue dialogue with Ukraine,’ 28 June 2013. Retrieved from http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ep-president-eu-should-continuedialog-with-ukraine-despite-tymoshenkos-case-326271.html?flavour=mobile [accessed Sep 2014] MFA Latvia (2012), ‘Foreign Minister Rinkēvičs: Latvia stands for further EU-Ukraine Cooperation,’ Press Release, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Latvia, 21 November 2012. Retrieved from http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/news/press-releases/2012/november/21-1/ [accessed Sep 2014] Paul, A. (2013), ‘Russia cranks up pressure on Ukraine,’ EUobserver, 6 September
• 2013. Retrieved from http://blogs.euobserver.com/paul/2013/09/02/russia-cranksup-pressure-on-ukraine/ [accessed Sep 2014] Permanent Representative (2013), Interview with Permanent Representative in Brussels, 18 January, 2013.
• Rettman, A. (2012), “EU-Ukraine Summit ‘unlikely’ this year,” EUobserver, 5 November 2012. Retrieved from http://euobserver.com/foreign/118094 [accessed Sep 2014]
• RFE/RL (2013), “Ukraine’s Cabinet backs the EU Association Agreement,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 18 November 2013. Retrieved from http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-eu-membership-association-agreement-governmentapprove/25109791.html [accessed Sep 2014]
• The New York Times (2012), ‘Ukraine’s slide,’ 4 March 2012. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/opinion/05iht-edbildt05.html [accessed Sep 2014]
• Ukrinform (2013), ‘Poland did all to ensure signing of the Association,’ 19 November 2013. Retrieved from http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/poland_did_all_to_ensure_signing_of_eu_ukraine_association_agreement___sikorski_313077 [accessed Sep 2014]
• Varfolomeyeva, A. (2013), ‘Ukraine will sign agreement with EU,’ EPOCH, 16 January 2013. Retrieved from http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/ukraine-will-signagreement-with-eu-336429.html [accessed Sep 2014]
• Voice of Russia (2014), ‘US taking advantage of Ukraine crisis to upset Russia- Germany relations,’ 21 February 2014. Retrieved from http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_02_21/US-taking-advantage-of-Ukraine-crisis-to-upset-Russia-Germany-relations-6124/ [accessed Sep 2014]
• Wilson, A. (2012), The EU and Ukraine after the 2012 Elections, ECFR EU Policy Memo, ECFR/65, European Council for Foreign Relations.
• Yelisieiev, A. (2013), ‘Seven Myths on EU-Ukraine Association Agreement,’ Mission of Ukraine to the EU, 7 January 2013. Retrieved from http://ukraine-eu.mfa.gov.ua/en/press-center/news/9473-7-mifiv-shhodo-ugodi-pro-asociaciju-mizhukrajinoju-ta-jes [accessed Sep 2014]
• Youngs, R. (2011), “EU Policy on Ukraine during and since the Orange Revolution: ‘A door neither closed nor open’,” in D. Thomas (ed.) Making EU Foreign Policy: National Preferences, European Norms and Common Policies, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/bjes-2014-0012