EU-Ukraine Association Agreement Research Articles

СТАЛИЙ РОЗВИТОК ТОРГІВЛІ: ТЕОРЕТИЧНИЙ АСПЕКТ

The article highlights the theoretical aspect of sustainable trade development. It is found that trade development through more rational and efficient use of resources, production growth, increased income and investment leads to economic growth and employment. It is found that the sustainability of domestic trade is reflected primarily in its impact on human development. It is determined that the sustainable development of Ukraine's trade is laid down in the provisions of trade agreements between Ukraine and other countries and unions of countries. The author analyzes the features of the WTO agreement on sustainable trade development. The article analyzes the provisions of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in the area of trade policy development with regard to sustainable development. It is noted that trade is key to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is found that the main direction of implementation of socio-economic management methods for sustainable trade development is performance management, which enhances the social orientation of management through the effect of activity and creates a system of motivation and incentives for labor. It has been found that trade is also important for social integration, which, along with the economy and the environment, is one of the three pillars of sustainable development. In Ukraine, environmental and sustainable development issues are poorly integrated into the process of formulating and implementing public policy, including trade policy. Therefore, environmental protection and sustainable development should be clearly enshrined in trade policy. The presence of environmental factors in a trade agreement cannot depend solely on the policies and approaches of the other party.

Перспективи розвитку транскордонного співробітництва на рівні місцевого самоврядування в Україні

The irreversible course of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is vividly demonstrated every day in the media by the unwavering support of our country by international partners and organisations, as well as by the top officials of foreign states. The key task is to adapt the acquis communautaire into the national legislation of Ukraine. All reforms are taking place in parallel with the Ukrainian government’s accession negotiations, starting with the ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in 2014. An integral attribute of EU accession is the implementation of decentralisation reforms, including the development of cross-border cooperation of territorial communities. This is an important tool for the development of regions, cities and territorial communities, especially those bordering on neighbouring countries or having partnerships with territorial partners in other countries. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU countries have virtually unanimously expressed political support for our country. The EU candidate status granted to Ukraine allows us to create the best conditions for the development of cross-border cooperation. Regardless of the duration of Ukraine’s accession process, the prospect of Ukraine’s membership in the EU has become a political reality and will sooner or later mean its integration into the EU single market and the Schengen area. Cross-border cooperation of subnational actors should be seen as a tool for territorial development of regions and communities, which ultimately benefits the whole country and should be in the public interest. State support for the development of cross-border cooperation at the regional and local level should be understood as a necessary investment that brings mutual benefits to all its partners. They will be able to use the opportunities offered by EU programmes for cross-border cooperation through various funding projects. In addition, such cooperation is of public interest to every European country. The state is obliged to be interested in this and provide opportunities to develop such cooperation. Therefore, in June 2024, the Law of Ukraine ‘On International Territorial Cooperation of Ukraine’ was recently adopted, which addresses a number of shortcomings and problems of local government functioning within the framework of international cooperation between territorial communities and regions of foreign countries.

Key stages of adapting the acquis communautaire to Ukraine's legal system: a historical overview

The article is aimed at clarifying the status of regulatory and legal support for the process of adaptation of the national legislation to the acquis communautaire. It is stated that the Ukrainian state has already completed most of the steps to join the EU. Attention is focused on the relevance of the study, which is due to Ukraine's officially obtaining the EU candidate status and the transition to the negotiation process between the EU and Ukraine on the latter's accession to the EU. The author analyses the provisions of Ukrainian legislation and scientific research on the understanding of the concept of ‘acquis communautaire’. The author's definition of this legal phenomenon is formulated, which should be understood as the sources of EU law, standards, principles of external and internal activities and other achievements of the European Communities. The author's own approach to distinguishing four stages of adaptation of the national legislation to the acquis communautaire in chronological order is proposed. The first stage was when Ukrainian legislation implemented the EU norms and standards to establish economic cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in various areas for the development of various relations between the partners. The second stage was a testament to the irresistible desire of Ukraine and Ukrainians to be part of the EU community and contributed to the signing and entry into force of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The third stage demonstrates Ukraine's path from the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement to the EU candidate status. The fourth stage is connected with the European Council's announcement of the start of negotiations with Ukraine on the country's accession to the EU and the need for comprehensive harmonisation and adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to the EU acquis in connection with the prospect of EU membership. It is emphasised that the implementation of the acquis communautaire into the national legal system should pursue national interests and be a political, economic, legal and social consensus on key issues of European integration transformations

The Role of Attorney’s Request as a Communication Instrument in Advocacy

Abstract Background: The analysis of communication tools used in advocacy is currently a topical research problem in the context of dynamic information communication in the sociopolitical space. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the attorney’s request as a means of obtaining information by attorneys to carry out their professional activity. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted with the help of numerous methods, the method of expert interviews being the leading one. It was used to single out the procedural characteristics and prospects of the attorney’s request in presentday Ukraine. Results: Attention is drawn to a number of issues that complicate the process of submitting attorney’s request and a proper use of this mechanism and procedure by an attorney. The ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement opens up new prospects not only for Ukrainian and European producers but also provides for interesting objectives for attorneys to consult the private sector in the process of building new markets. Conclusion: In this article, it was suggested to compare and analyze the issue of the attorney’s request in Ukrainian and Polish legal framework. As a result of the research, problems were identified, and proposals were made for a simplified procedure for submitting an attorney’s request as a communication instrument in advocacy.

ПРОТЕКЦІОНІЗМ ЯК ДЕТЕРМІНАНТА РОЗВИТКУ АВТОМОБІЛЕБУДУВАННЯ ВЕЛИКОЇ БРИТАНІЇ

Розглянуто тарифну політику щодо імпорту, яку було запроваджено у Великій Британії з початком Першої світової війни і яка діяла протягом близько 60 років. Спираючись на історичні факти і цифри, обґрунтовано на прикладі автомобільної індустрії, що так звані мита Маккенна в довгостроковій перспективі вплинули на зростання виробництва, зайнятості, надходжень до бюджету; обумовили зниження цін на внутрішньому ринку, скорочення імпорту і збільшення експорту, сприяли іноземним інвестиціям і трансферу передових технологій, ширшому залученню до бізнес-процесів місцевого потенціалу. Унаочнено, що запущені нині урядом Індії захисні мита для регулювання імпорту товарів, випуск яких визначено її урядом пріоритетом (зокрема, ідеться про виробництво електромобілів), є віддзеркаленням заходів, що реалізовувала Велика Британія на початку ХХ ст. Наголошено, що захисні тарифи на ці товари в Україні є суттєво нижчими. Показано, що США в цілях національної безпеки також використовують імпортні мита.Беручи до уваги положення ГАТТ/СОТ і Угоди про асоціацію з ЄС, а також сучасні приклади їх застосування, цілком очевидно, що Україна в нинішніх умовах зовнішніх і внутрішніх викликів та інституційних обмежень може в період повоєнного відновлення скористатися перевагами політики протекціонізму для розвитку індустрії, базуючись на своєму праві визначати «найважливіші винятки з міркувань безпеки» задля забезпечення соціально-економічної та фінансової стабільності країни і добробуту нації. З огляду на це, необхідно переосмислити поточну політику України щодо автомобілебудування, зокрема в частині зовнішньоторговельного регулювання, і сформувати нову політику, яка спиратиметься на положення теорії ефективного протекціонізму і розрахунки ефективної ставки захисту, оцінки поточного стану і перспектив підприємств, результати фахової дискусії щодо пріоритетів галузі: чи вона має залишатися на стадії великовузлового складання, чи націлитися на повноциклове виробництво з високим рівнем локалізації.

Compliance negotiations in EU external relations: the case of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement

ABSTRACT The article advances the research on compliance negotiations in the context of the EU’s external relations. It develops further the framework on EU compliance negotiations, introduced by Jönsson and Tallberg in 1998, and provides empirical evidence from a case study on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement’s implementation. The article suggests three arguments for the expansion of the original framework. Firstly, we add to the framework the case of pre-emptive compliance negotiations, i.e. negotiations in view of anticipated non-compliance. Secondly, it is suggested to supplement the original framework with the ‘object of negotiations’ category, as the issue at stake influences other variables in compliance negotiations, such as the power relations between the parties and the conflictive vs. cooperative nature of the negotiations. Thirdly, the article unpacks the role of multistakeholder networks in the dynamics of compliance negotiations in the EU’s external relations.

Emissions Trading System in Ukraine

The article highlights the conceptual foundations for the introduction of an emissions trading system in Ukraine from a practical perspective. It is found that after signing the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in June 2014, Ukraine pledged to implement a number of EU environmental directives, including Directive 2003/87/EU establishing a system for trading in greenhouse gas emission allowances. It is established that in order to improve the level of environmental safety in Ukraine and reduce the impact and consequences of climate change, the Government of Ukraine approved the Strategy for Environmental Safety and Climate Change Adaptation until 2030 in 2021. It is revealed that since the beginning of 2022, Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations under international treaties, and it is found that most companies comply with the requirements of Ukrainian legislation and support the country's decision to introduce an emission allowances trading system in Ukraine. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine “On the Principles of Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions”, according to which, starting from January 1, 2021, Ukraine will monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions at the level of individual facilities, which enables Ukraine to ensure the trading of greenhouse gas emission allowances. It is established that Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy prioritize the prevention of climate change through a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in wartime. Starting in 2025, Ukraine will introduce a greenhouse gas emissions trading system as part of its efforts to reduce emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. We find that clear rules must be established to ensure effective operation, supervision, and control of the emissions trading system in Ukraine. This includes identifying specific bodies responsible for regulating, implementing, and monitoring the system’s proper implementation in Ukraine, while also defining and delegating their respective roles and rights in regulating, implementing, and controlling the emissions trading system.

International trade and Ukraine's pursuit of self‐determination

AbstractIn this research, we assess the international trade implications of Ukraine's pursuit of self‐determination through the lens of the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement and the contemporaneous war with Russia in the years preceding the 2022 Russian Invasion. To do so, we construct a dataset with annual, bilateral export and import flows for Ukraine and a set of comparator countries at the 6‐digit level of the Harmonised Tariff Schedule (HS) for years 2000–2019. Using this data, we nest a difference‐in‐difference design within a series of econometric gravity models to estimate the effects on the sectoral and geographic composition of Ukrainian trade. Our results indicate a major re‐direction of exports towards the EU and away from Russia. Trade outcomes are one of many considerations that led to Ukraine's pursuit of EU integration.

AXIOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN UKRAINE AND THE IMPACT IT MAKES ON ITS DEVELOPMENT

The article presents the main principles of the axiological approach to the formation of the content of higher education in the context of current global trends and challenges caused by the modernization of the educational environments in Ukraine and the EU. The socio-economic, political, technological and cultural transformations that have been taking place in the world over the recent decades have had a significant impact on the development of education. In 2018, the EU adopted the key competencies for lifelong learning, including digital competence and entrepreneurship, which were introduced for the first time. This demonstrates that in order for the graduates to be employed universities have to respond quickly to the new labour market requirements and promote the formation of a competitive personality that has well-developed life, career and study skills. The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was signed in 2014, and since then the cooperation between Ukrainian and European educational institutions has got intensified. In this respect, it is vital to consider the axiological aspects of higher education and the determination of value components of the content and criteria of high quality education. By definition, the axiological approach proclaims the human being as the highest value of society and allows integrating the development of universal, national, professional and personal values in the educational process. The university is able to be the environment where the formation and consolidation of the value sphere of the individual takes place. The content of the value component of education is formed at the state level within regulatory documents and at the university level within the framework of educational and professional programs, training courses, compulsory and elective disciplines. However, formal copying of the value-based education of other countries cannot bring the desired results, as the factors that determine which values are the basis for the content of higher education in European countries differ from those in Ukraine. A comparative analysis of the value component of the content of university education in Ukraine and the EU countries shows that national traditions of lifestyle, production practice, politics and culture are essential the development of education

State and prospects of road construction projects development

The article discusses the aspects that argue for the importance of roads as the main component of the road sector for Ukraine and the application of the project approach to the project activities of enterprises engaged in the construction, maintenance, repair, and reconstruction of roads. The relevance of reforming the industry due to a number of problematic issues in the road construction sector, highlighting the most influential features of the industry that affect the quality of projects, and the conditions of the European Union under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The organizational and functional support for the management of the road sector in Ukraine is defined to understand all the functional responsibilities of all management entities. The main reforms are outlined and positive changes due to their implementation since 2018 are identified. The current state of the road sector, and in particular highways, since Russia's military aggression and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on February 24, 2022, which forced the continuation of projects within the framework of the sector reform to stop, is determined. The importance of implementing urgent projects in the road construction industry during active hostilities to ensure the transportation of military, commercial and humanitarian cargo, evacuation of civilians and the removal of wounded soldiers from active combat zones to a safer area is outlined. It also outlines plans to implement projects to restore and rebuild Ukraine's road infrastructure in accordance with the Draft Recovery Plan for Ukraine, with the support of foreign countries that are currently helping and have provided guarantees of further comprehensive support for the development of the public road network of national importance after the victory of our country, including the temporarily occupied territories, after their de-occupation.

EU-sentiment predicts the 2016 Dutch referendum vote on the EU’s association with Ukraine better than concerns about Russia or national discontent

This article utilises large-N panel data to compare two theories of referendum voting behaviour in order to understand the ‘for’ or ‘against’ vote in the 2016 Dutch referendum on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. It studies the extent to which voting behaviour was predicted by Eurosceptic attitudes and fear of upsetting Russia (issue-based theory), versus dissatisfaction with the Dutch government and general political discontent (second-order theory). Our findings indicate that issue-based determinants predict the referendum vote better than second-order predictors. However, Eurosceptic attitudes and government satisfaction both outperform concerns about the relationship with Russia as a predictor. We thus provide evidence that the issue-based and second-order approaches to explain voting in EU referendums are complementary, but not equal in explanatory strength.

STUDY OF BIODIVERSITY IN PRESERVING THE PRODUCTION AND MARKET POTENTIAL OF THE HONEY MARKET IN UKRAINE IN CONDITIONS OF DISTURBANCE

Objective. The purpose of this work is to present the results of the study of the Ukrainian honey market, to analyze the factors of formation of the production and marketing potential of the honey market in Ukraine during the period of disturbances, to systematize the characteristics of bee breeds in the context of biodiversity analysis in the context of environmental genocide and to develop directions for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in order to preserve the production and marketing potential of the honey market in Ukraine. Design/methodology/approach. The research on honey market conditions included various methods such as synthesis and analysis, comparison, and scientific generalization. Statistical methods were also utilized to evaluate the structure and dynamics of the market, and data from different sources such as the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAOSTAT, and the State Statistics Service of Ukraine were collected and analyzed. Conclusions. The impact of the disturbances has significantly affected the production and sales potential of the honey market and has exacerbated the need to address a number of pressing sectoral and macro-level issues. The main factors influencing the production and demand for beekeeping products at the industry level are the following: a 9.2 % increase in the number of bee colonies in 2016–2019, favorable weather conditions, the use of branding to promote the demand for a wide range of honey and its derivatives, the development of logistics and e-commerce (which have a positive trend). The main factors of macro-influence are the impact of disturbances, such as the spread of the pandemic, which stimulated a sharp increase in consumption in the domestic and foreign honey markets, as well as the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in terms of increasing honey export quotas (with a 0 % duty rate on honey (which contributes to the development of the industry). The war in Ukraine in 2022 will have a negative impact on the beekeeping sector, given the concentration of a large share of producers in the combat zone, losses of apiaries and bee colonies, threats to biodiversity due to the environmental crisis in the temporarily occupied territories, theft of products in distribution centers and retail chains. Practical implications. The results of the study are of interest to both honey market participants, such as organized apiaries and private beekeepers, and related industries: farms and agroholdings for growing honey crops and other producers of honey crops who are interested in implementing regional logistics systems in the beekeeping sector based on clustering, cooperation and other forms of cooperation; cooperation of honey producers, retail chains and intermediary organizations in the field of honey marketing who are interested in developing the honey market on the basis of marketing. The proposals for the development of the production and marketing potential of enterprises in the honey market are also of interest to the NGO “Association of Beekeepers of Ukraine” and the NGO “Union of Beekeepers of Ukraine”, which are proposed to register beekeepers in accordance with the Map of Breeding Apiaries of Ukraine, and to regulate the use of the honey base, maintaining an accounting system, forming a marketing system, controlling the import-export of honey, planning the development strategy of the industry, registering clusters of beekeeping communities, providing incentives for the introduction of modern technologies and innovations in honey production, and promoting job creation in the field of beekeeping. Originality/value. The results of the analysis and the contribution of biodiversity in the beekeeping sector to the preservation of the production and marketing potential of the honey market in Ukraine are presented. The state and development trends of the Ukrainian honey market are analyzed, the factors influencing its development in the face of disturbances are identified. The SWOT-analysis of the Ukrainian honey market in the conditions of disturbances is carried out.

The Role of Fulfilling the Obligations by Ukraine under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement within its New Status of a Candidate State for EU Membership

The Role of Fulfilling the Obligations by Ukraine under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement within its New Status of a Candidate State for EU Membership

Creating a competitive market for solid biofuels: the role of the electronic trading system and public procurement

The article is a part of a series of works dedicated to the problems of legal regulation of the creation and functioning of the system of electronic trade in solid biofuel as a tool of intensifying the production of biofuel, as well as ensuring sustainable development. Special consideration is given to the issue of participation in the electronic trading system of contracting authorities within the meaning of the Law of Ukraine «On Public Procurement», which requires a clear definition, since the existence of two parallel markets for trading significant volumes of solid biofuel can lead to the leveling of the idea and purpose of creating an electronic trading system. The categories of contracting authorities for which it is expedient to provide the obligation to purchase a set percentage of solid biofuel in the electronic trade system are detailed. It is proposed that such an obligation should be extended to contracting authorities within the meaning of the Law of Ukraine «On Public Procurement» who, due to the special sphere in which they carry out their activities, systematically purchase large volumes of solid biofuel, namely: legal entities in accordance with clause 4, part 1 of article 2 of the Law of Ukraine «On Public Procurement», which carry out activities in the field of ensuring the production, transportation, and supply of thermal and electrical energy to consumers, drinking water, functioning of centralized drainage and meet the characteristics established by the Law. Taking into account the obligations of Ukraine within the framework of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, as well as the need to ensure compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals, the feasibility of gradually introducing «green» public procurement of solid biofuel has been proven, taking into account the fact that certain volumes of biofuel will be purchasedby such categories of contracting authorities in the meaning of the Law of Ukraine «On Public Procurement», as state and local government bodies and legal entities that ensure the needs of the state or territorial community, specifically in the public procurement system. The problematicaspects of the registered draft of the Law of Ukraine «On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding the Development of Electronic Trade in Alternative Fuels» No. 8052, which is currently under consideration by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, are emphasized.

Evaluation of the results and analysis of the impact of the DCFTA with the EU on agricultural trade in Ukraine

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to evaluate the impact of the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) on bilateral trade in agri-food products and domestic food market of Ukraine during the first five years after the entry into force of this DCFTA.
 Methodology / approach. Analysis of the impact of DCFTA with EU on the agricultural trade is based on the cost-benefit approach. The results of the implementation of the DCFTA agreement are evaluated in terms of benefits and losses for the main stakeholders (players) in agricultural trade – Ukrainian agricultural exporters, domestic agri-food producers, consumers, and the government sector. Based on the methods of analyzing the structure of the sectoral market, a list of criteria for evaluating the results of the implementation of the Agreement was determined. A comparison method was used to evaluate the impact of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (hereinafter Agreement or AA) on agricultural trade and the domestic market of agri-food products of Ukraine. To study the DCFTA’s impact, the five-year period (2009–2013) before its implementation was compared with the five-year period after the entry into force of the DCFTA bilaterally (2016–2020). Since Ukraine lost control over part of its territories after the start of the Agreement’s implementation, relative indicators were used to assess the impact of the EU-Ukraine DCFTA on the domestic market of agri-food products. The research was conducted based on the data of the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, UN Comtrade Trade Statistics Database, Eurostat Database.
 Results. The analysis demonstrates the undoubted benefits of DCFTA for Ukrainian exporters of agricultural goods: (1) after the implementation of the DCFTA, there was an increase in both Ukraine’s agricultural exports to the EU and imports of agricultural products from the EU to Ukraine, and the resulting positive balance in agricultural trade in 2020 was 5.5 times higher than in 2009. (2) the average growth rate of Ukraine’s agricultural exports to the EU during the first 5 years of the Agreement (10.3 %) exceeded the average growth rate of agricultural imports from the EU to Ukraine (7.2 %). (3) during 2016–2020, Ukraine’s exports of agricultural goods to the EU grew faster than agricultural exports to the rest of the World, which indicates the high effectiveness of bilateral liberalization of foreign trade regimes. (4) the DCFTA with the EU has not yet resulted in significantly reduce of the share of agricultural raw materials (or low value-added primary goods) in Ukraine’s exports to the EU. (5) the potential for exports of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU, including those produced by small and medium-sized agrobusinesses, has not been fully realized due to the low levels of tariff rate quotas, high level of EU import duty rates applied to quantities imported from Ukraine outside tariff quotas and long duration and high costs of the certification procedures for the export to the EU. (6) during the first 5 years of DCFTA implementation, there was no significant expansion of imports of agri-food products to the domestic market of Ukraine. This happened not so much because of the high competitiveness of domestic producers, but because of the low purchasing power of the population. (7) the implementation of the Agreement did not have a significant downward impact on domestic prices for agri-food products in Ukraine. (8) the lowering of the tariff protection of the domestic market did not significantly influenced the domestic production of agri-food products which remained stable, except for the production of grape wines, which decreased during 2016–2020. (9) due to the implementation of the Agreement, the EU has increased its share in the import of agri-food products to Ukraine. However, for some commodity groups there was both absolute and relative decrease in imports. This happened due to competition from other importers, as well as due to import substitution processes.
 Originality / scientific novelty. The originality of the study is the specification (adaptation) of cost-benefit analysis methods to identify the DCFTA impact on the main stakeholders in agricultural trade of Ukraine with European Union – exporters, domestic producers, consumers, government sector. 
 Practical value / implications. The practical use of the study consists of identification of the positive and negative consequences of the DCFTA for Ukraine’s agricultural trade stakeholders, as well as factors of these consequences, that allows developing practical agricultural trade policy recommendations, including periodic time-to-time review of trade provisions of the Agreement.

Impacts of Cross-Border Interaction from the Perspective of Cross-Border Cooperation Actors

Cross-border cooperation represents a "laboratory" of the international integration process, in which synergy is created between the diverse political, economic, cultural and social characteristics of the actors involved. The present paper examines perceptions of local cross-border cooperation actors in Slovak-Ukrainian borderlands. It is aimed 1) to identify their perceptions regarding the impact of more intensive cross-border interaction and expected impacts of the Association Agreement and 2) to verify the relationship between their views on the effects of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement implementation, as well as on deepening cross-border interaction and their tendency to perceive the EU, Ukraine or Slovakia as reliable partners. The empirical research and the statistical analysis were based on the approach proven within the EXLINEA research project. The results have revealed that the more intensive cross-border interaction has, as perceived by local actors on both sides of the border, a rather positive impact on borderlands. At the same time, perceptions regarding the reliability of Ukraine's partnership with Slovakia and the EU are seen as relatively significant correlates of attitudes of local cross-border cooperation actors. Namely, their attitudes to the effects of cross-border economic interaction, cross-border cooperation and the impacts of the Association Agreement implementation.

How the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement and its Consequences Necessitated Adaptation and Drove Innovation in the EU

AbstractGiven its depth and ambition, the Association Agreement (AA) concluded between the EU and Ukraine may have been expected to result in significant reverse influence on the EU. However, this article shows that this influence is indirect, arising from mechanisms and international processes brought into sharp relief by the AA. These are: the power asymmetry between the parties, politicization of the agreement and geo‐politicization as a form of contestation of the agreement in the geopolitical arena, stirred by Russia's grievances. The article argues that in responding to the asymmetry, politicization and geo‐politicization of the AA, the EU has been pushed to innovate to prevent the legal and political failure of the negotiated agreement. Innovation occurred at different levels: at institutional level to assist Ukraine's capacity to implement it, at constitutional level to ensure its ratification given politicization in the Netherlands, and at policy level to address Russia's geopolitical moves.

Economic Consequences of the Realisation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement

The article focuses on the features of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and the economic consequences of its implementation for Ukraine. The impact on foreign trade, export–import component of trade with the EU, problems and prospects for introducing European standards in Ukraine are determined. The study hypothesises that the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement has worsened the already weak economic situation in Ukraine and led to a reorientation of Ukraine’s foreign trade with a simultaneous loss of markets to which Ukraine exported high value-added products and their replacement for EU markets where only raw materials are exported. It also led to a loss of more than a quarter of its own industrial production and the gradual transformation of Ukraine into a raw material appendage of Europe.

Approximation of environmental legislation: on the way to EU membership

Ukraine's candidate status for EU membership, granted in June 2022, should be a new turning point in the process of approximation, including environmental and climate change issues. The need to implement relevant environmental and climate change EU legislation can also become so called red lines ensuring that the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine is indeed green and based on the "build back better and greener" principle. Ukraine has already fulfilled a number of obligations that are key to becoming a full member of the EU, and is not starting from the scratch. The Government of Ukraine declares 64% fulfilment of the obligations in the field of environmental protection and climate change under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. There were and remain a number of political, legal, institutional and technical challenges in the implementation process, as well as the need for financial, human and other resources to speed-up the progress. However, Ukraine has gained unique experience, among other things, in the field of approximation, which can be used now, when the process of approximation of legislation should become much more dynamic and effective than at the times before the status of a candidate for EU membership was granted.

Implementation of water sector acquis in Ukraine

This paper provides an overview and analysis of the progress made by Ukraine in implementing Water Sector acquis listed in the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The paper concludes that for the most part the transposition of the respective Directives is complete. It is argued, however, that extra effort is required under the Nitrates Directive and the Drinking Water Directive. Notwithstanding tangible gains in the development of River Basin Management Plans, Flood Risk Management Plans and the adoption of the Marine Environmental Strategy of Ukraine, the implementation of the State Water Monitoring Program suffers obvious difficulties caused by the unprovoked and unjustified russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, especially in the areas of active warfare. Massive destruction of infrastructure including centralized water supply and sewerage systems is likely to hinder implementation of the Drinking Water Directive and the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive in Ukraine.