FUNCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE UKRAINIAN-POLISH BORDER IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the functional specifics of the Ukrainian-Polish border since Ukraine has declared its independence until the ratification of the European Union Association Agreement for Ukraine. In the context of the European Union – Ukraine relations and cooperation there were dynamic periods with different functional correlation of the Ukrainian-Polish border, which is emphasized in the article. After Ukraine declared independence its border with Poland became more transparent with the filtration function as dominant. The Ukrainian-Polish border was opened for bilateral movement of people and goods. After Poland obtained the European Union membership its border with Ukraine became the eastern security border of the European Union. Its barrier function with necessary visa for Ukrainian citizens to cross the border brought more complicacy into Ukrainian-Polish cooperation. After the European Union Association Agreement for Ukraine was signed and the visa regime was cancelled the contact function of the Ukrainian-Polish border has become apparent. Key words: Ukrainian-Polish border; state border functions; European integration.