Ukraine, EU sign bilateral documents in Brussels

According to Ukrinform, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov and EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton signed the agreement on Ukraine's participation in the EU's Digital Europe Program (2021-2027).

The document will ensure Ukraine's participation in this program in accordance with the principles and conditions established by Article 451 of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Participation in digital implementation programs should ensure mutual benefits for the parties, respecting a high level of data protection, digital rights, fundamental rights and ethical standards, and recognizing that the parties reserve the right to limit or condition participation in certain activities based on duly justified security reasons.

Both parties also signed an agreement to finance the measure "Reducing vulnerability and increasing food security through support for the affected population and agricultural production in Ukraine (State and Resilience Building Contract)." The total estimated cost of the measure is EUR 500 million, and the maximum contribution from the EU is EUR 500 million. In accordance with the agreement, the EU agrees to provide financing, and Ukraine agrees to accept the financing of such a budget support measure. On behalf of Ukraine, the document was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, and on behalf of the European Commission by Deputy Director-General Katarina Mathernova, Acting Head of Support Group for Ukraine.

Both parties also signed additional agreement No. 1 (in the form of an exchange of letters) between the government of Ukraine and the European Commission, acting on behalf of the European Union, to the agreement on financing the measure "EU Emergency Support Program in favor of Ukraine" (NDICI-GEO-NEAR/2022 /ACT-60748). The goal is to amend the agreement on financing the measure "EU Emergency Support Program in favor of Ukraine." The proposed changes include changes to the distribution of the estimated budget, which must be made taking into account the reassessment of the needs of the population and the capabilities of the executors to implement them. Accordingly, the grant budget component will increase by EUR 122 million due to the reduction of the indirect management and procurement components. In addition, minor linguistic corrections have been made to better reflect the current state of the war.

Ukraine's Minister of Finance, Serhiy Marchenko, and EU Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, signed an agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on Ukraine's participation in the EU's Fiscalis program for cooperation in the field of taxation.

They also signed an agreement on Ukraine's participation in the Customs program.