Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka holds second meeting on implementing EU Commission recommendations outlined in the EU Enlargement Package

On 1 August, under the chairmanship of Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Taras Kachka, the second meeting was held to address the implementation of tasks outlined in the Action Plan for fulfilling the European Commission’s recommendations, as presented in the 2024 EU Enlargement Package Progress Report for Ukraine.

During the meeting, representatives from ministries and agencies reported on the progress of tasks across four negotiating Clusters: 2 “Internal Market”, 3 “Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth”, 4 “Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity”, and 5 “Resources, Agriculture, and Cohesion”.

Discussions focused on the implementation of tasks in areas covered by these Clusters, including the free movement of goods, freedom of entrepreneurship and services, free movement of capital, corporate law, intellectual property rights, consumer protection and public health, taxation, social policy and employment, entrepreneurship and industrial policy, science and research, transport, energy, agriculture and rural development, veterinary and phytosanitary policy, fisheries, regional policy, and coordination of structural instruments, among others.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that the Government’s priority is to make maximum use of the time before 8 September to finalise Ukraine’s contribution to the European Commission’s 2024 Enlargement Package Report.

“Our collective duty – Government, Parliament, and all relevant institutions – is to ensure the timely and high-quality implementation of the European Commission’s recommendations. Today, we must identify areas where efforts need to be doubled to demonstrate progress. It is crucial to maintain positive momentum in implementing measures, even those scheduled for August or the fourth quarter of this year,” Taras Kachka stressed.

Clusters 2, 3, 4, and 5 collectively cover 116 European Commission recommendations and 233 measures. Meeting participants outlined further steps and actions to accelerate the implementation of these tasks.

The meeting was attended by members of working (negotiating) groups responsible for preparing Ukraine’s negotiating positions, including representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, the National Bank, the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations, the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, the National Commission for State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radiofrequency Spectrum and Postal Services, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate, the State Customs Service of Ukraine, and others.

The Director General of the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Oleksandr Ilkov, also participated in the meeting.

The previous day, the Deputy Prime Minister held a meeting with representatives of working groups on the status of implementing measures for negotiating Clusters 1 “Fundamentals” and 6 “External Relations”.

Background

In March, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Action Plan for implementing the European Commission’s recommendations, as outlined in the 2024 EU Enlargement Package Progress Report for Ukraine.

The Plan includes over 380 measures aimed at fulfilling the European Commission’s recommendations from the 2024 Progress Report, as well as continuing the implementation of 2023 recommendations that were not fully completed.

The document establishes measures to address 195 recommendations across 33 negotiating Chapters within six Clusters, covering areas such as economic criteria, the functioning of democratic institutions, and public administration reform. Each measure is linked to a specific recommendation, with designated timelines and responsible parties. Ukraine’s progress in implementing these recommendations serves as an indicator of its readiness for integration into the European Union.