On Thursday, 4 January, the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, chaired a meeting with deputy ministers for European integration to discuss the implementation of the European Commission's recommendations presented in the Ukraine Progress Report on the 2023 EU Enlargement Package and organisational aspects of the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
"In December 2023, the European Union decided to open negotiations with Ukraine on its accession to the EU. This event is, without exaggeration, a landmark in the history of our country and the future of the European Union. This is a great achievement, but there is still much work to be done. The further process of European integration will largely depend on the pace and quality of our implementation of the recommendations provided in the 2023 Enlargement Package. Based on the European Commission's assessment, we have prepared a draft Action Plan for the implementation of the relevant recommendations. This document will be updated on an annual basis, taking into account each new report of the European Commission," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
More than 80 authorities were involved in the preparation of the Plan, and it is planned to approve it by a Government order in the near future.
The participants of the meeting also discussed in detail the launch of the official negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the EU. Olha Stefanishyna emphasised that the process would take place in parallel with the implementation of the European Commission's recommendations.
"As part of the preparations for the First Intergovernmental Conference and the opening of negotiations, one of the important stages is the organisation and conduct of an official screening. We already have a successful experience of conducting an internal assessment (self-screening) of the state of implementation of EU legislation. Without this work, it would be much more difficult for us to prepare a negotiating position, as we would not have an understanding of the scope of obligations we would have to face," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
She noted that the general negotiating position would be presented at the First Intergovernmental Conference, followed by the accession negotiations.
"We are already developing the concept of Ukraine's negotiating position. Based on the self-screening and the positions of your ministries, we ask you to formulate proposals for it. When preparing the document, it is critical to hold consultations with the business community," stressed Olha Stefanishyna.
Separately, the interlocutors talked about further developing the capabilities of government agencies to fulfil European integration tasks. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that in 2023, representatives of almost all ministries had completed the relevant training programmes. "This process will continue," Olha Stefanishyna assured.