EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee adopts final statement

"The Parliamentary Association Committee, having discussed the recent developments in Ukraine and EU-Ukraine relations, and having exchanged views on the priorities for future developments, agreed upon the following final statement and recommendations," reads the statement.

The tenth meeting of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC) was held in Strasbourg on December 18-19, 2019, co-chaired by Vadym Halaichuk on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Witold Waszczykowski on behalf of the European Parliament.

The recommendations relate to EU-Ukraine relations and their parliamentary dimension, the security situation, Crimea and energy security, reforms and the rule of law.

In particular, the PAC stresses that the Association Agreement (AA) does not constitute the final goal of EU-Ukraine relations; points out, in this respect, that Ukraine has a European perspective pursuant to Article 49 TEU, and may apply to become a member of the European Union provided that it adheres to the Copenhagen criteria and the principles of democracy, respects fundamental freedoms and human and minority rights, and upholds the rule of law, with the implementation of the AA as a first and crucial step.

The PAC calls for an ambitious upgrade of the Eastern Partnership at the June 2020 Summit guided by common values and aiming at improving the security and socio-economic situation of the EU’s Eastern European partners.

It stresses that the EU should play a more visible role and further increase its engagement in peaceful conflict settlement in the EaP area.

As for the security situation, Crimea and energy security, the PAC emphasizes its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders; recalls its strong condemnation of Russia’s acts of aggression against Ukraine, which has resulted in the temporary illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine) and of certain territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, as well as in the blocking of international shipping routes to the Sea of Azov and at the Black Sea, which constitute a deliberate violation of international law, democratic principles and fundamental values; strongly condemns human rights violations carried out by Russia on the occupied territories, including violations of religious freedom; calls for the freedom of navigation, under the International Law of the Seas Convention, both in the Kerch Strait and the Azov Sea, to be restored and respected by Russia.

The Committee also welcomes the resumption of the negotiations in the Normandy format at the Summit in Paris on 9 December 2019, and commends efforts in this format to achieve sustainable and peaceful settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine caused by Russian aggression; welcomes the commitment to the full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire regime, backed by the implementation of all necessary ceasefire support measures, before the end of the year 2019; expects that the outcomes of the Normandy 4 Summit will advance the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

It welcomes the application of the “all for all” release and exchange formula until the end of the year; calls on the Russian authorities to release unconditionally and without further delay all Ukrainian citizens, including Crimean Tatars, who are illegally and arbitrarily detained on politically motivated charges both in Russia and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine; and insists on a full and unconditional access of international humanitarian organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to all detained persons.

The Committee welcomes recently adopted UN General Assembly Resolutions on the militarisation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, of 9 December 2019, and on the situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, of 18 December 2019.

The PAC encourages the EU and Ukraine to enhance the cooperation in the field of strategic communication aimed at tackling effectively disinformation campaigns and at enhancing resilience.

In addition, the Committee states its opposition to the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as it reinforces EU dependency on Russian gas supplies, threatens the EU internal market and contradicts the spirit, values and core policy objectives of the Energy Union.

The PAC calls on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to carefully consider and take the lead for any constitutional reform and to withstand any hostile Russian influence in these discussions.

The next meeting of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee will be held in Ukraine in spring 2020.

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