EU-Ukraine Association Agreement Research Articles

THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE EIGHT CITIES OF UKRAINE

Abstract A simplified solid waste management system has existed for many years in Ukraine being. The system factually coming to MSW collection and their removal to landfills and dumps. This has resulted in accumulation of 223 million tons MSW on territory of more than 8.5 ha. Signing on 27th June 2014 EU-Ukraine Association Agreement obliged Ukraine to approximate legislation to EU demands in the Field of Waste Management [1]. On 8th November 2017 National Waste Management Strategy has been accepted for this purpose binding until 2030 [2]. This paper makes a comparative study of Municipal Solid Waste (hereinafter referred to as MSW) Management in Ukraine. This paper represents the analysis of the waste composition from the eight cities from different regions of Ukraine. The comparative analysis takes into account dependence of the amount and waste composition on income and population level. The approaches of the World Bank basic report are used in this study [3]. The study reveals prospects for development of techniques on material and energy use of MSW potential in Ukraine.

Influence of european integration processes on social and economic convergence of regions in Ukraine-Eu cross-border space

Having declared the course towards European integration and having signed the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, Ukraine has made concrete commitments on improving the life of its citizens. It pledges to achieve the level of EU countries’ system of public administration, when the residents’ rights are protected, they have more chances for self-development and are more confident in future. The way to this goal goes through domestic reforms, elimination of corruption, adaptation of European standards, economic integration and political association with the EU. The impact of European integration is already visible in some spheres of country’s activity, mainly in institutional and legislative fields, foreign economic activity of both the country and its border regions and implementation of European instruments in the sphere of cross-border cooperation. However, it is going to take time to observe the influence of European integration on social and economic development of Ukraine and its regions.

СИСТЕМА УПРАВЛІННЯ ДЕРЖАВНИМИ ФІНАНСАМИ УКРАЇНИ: ПРОБЛЕМИ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ

Протидія загрозам безпеці національного економічного простору має супроводжуватися захистом фінансового суверенітету з боку владних структур. Безумовне здійснення середньострокових цілей зниження темпів приросту сукупної заборгованості країни у перспективі, вдосконалення урядових регуляторних механізмів розподілу обмежених ресурсів, підвищення якості надання конституційно гарантованих публічних послуг, підтримки інвестицій у реальний сектор економіки має бути ключовим орієнтиром для системи управління державними фінансами (СУДФ).Проаналізовано інституційні, макроекономічні, політичні, організаційні, інформаційні ризики, що можуть перешкоджати успішному вжиттю заходів, спрямованих на забезпечення послідовності та передбачуваності бюджетно-податкової політики, на запобігання дефолтним ситуаціям тощо.Результати практичної реалізації ухвалених у минулому році програмних документів, які регламентують Стратегію реформування СУДФ на 2017–2020 роки (далі – Стратегія) і План дій з її впровадження, свідчать, що недостатність скоординованого волевиявлення, а також консенсусу з приводу єдиного курсу змін у суспільстві негативно впливає на якість управління фіскальними ризиками та інвестиційними процесами, на ступінь синхронності в бюджетно-податковому регулюванні з іншими підоймами впливу держави на успішність управління змінами.Наголошено, що на високий ступінь залежності від міжнародної фінансової допомоги з метою посилення рівноважного стану економіки, на необхідність більш інтенсивного розвитку національного господарства, продовження структурних реформ вказано в оприлюдненому звіті Єврокомісії у зв’язку з черговою річницею укладання та імплементації Угоди про асоціацію між Україною та ЄС (Association Agreement – AA).Запропоновано шляхи нейтралізації руйнівних наслідків від будь-яких зовнішніх або внутрішніх трансформацій у соціально-економічній системі за допомогою рівноважних процесів суспільного відтворення, інтенсифікації капіталовкладень, сприяння розвиткові підприємництва, обмеження тіньової діяльності, забезпечення прозорості операцій з державними фінансовими активами, синергетичного ефекту управлінської взаємодії Уряду і НБУ.

Evaluation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement’s Impact on the Development of Border Territories

Some of the results of experts’ survey of 288 representatives of 113 authorities on the issues of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement’s impact on social and economic development of Ukrainian border oblasts are outlined. The respondents were the representatives of cities of republican and oblast status (city councils’ employees) and of district state administrations of six border oblasts: Volynska, Lvivska, Zakarpatska, Ivano-Frankivska, Chernivetska and Odeska oblasts. The experts’ understanding of thelevel of impact the signing of Agreement (including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA)) has on the development of their district (city) is presented both in general and by border oblasts as well as district state administrations and city councils. The experts’ evaluation of the spheres most influenced by deepening of European integration processes in the context of the Agreement implementation is shown. Interpretation of border oblasts local authorities’ assessment of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement advantages is conducted. The types of economic activity, which have gained the most advantages from Association Agreement implementation according to experts’ point of view, are outlined. Suggestions on activation of awareness about the Agreement in order to use more of its advantages for border territories’ development are made.
 Keywords: EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, borderterritories,experts’ survey, European integration processes, Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA)

Electronic Trust Services – the Basis of Business Trust

On October 5, 2017, the Ukrainian Parliament voted for Ukrainian Law “On Electronic Trust Services”. This is an important step towards Ukraine’s integration into the EU Digital Single Market, expansion of cross-border cooperation, and international e-commerce with the EU.The law takes into account the provisions of the EU Regulation No. 910/2014 (on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the domestic market), which is provided for by Ukraine’s obligations under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (Chapter 6 of Section IV of the Agreement).The next steps is to ensure its proper and effective implementation, which involves development and approval of a number of government legislative acts; adoption of national standards that meet EU standards; institutional provision and the creation of appropriate digital infrastructure.A prerequisite for opening up access to the Single Digital Market in the EU is the development of a system of electronic trust services in accordance with the EU Regulation No. 910/2014 and European standards. Ukraine should ensure the compatibility of key components of the electronic trust services system in Ukraine with the relevant components of the European Union. This will provide an opportunity to reach an agreement with the EU on the mutual recognition of electronic trust services between Ukraine and the EU. For Ukrainian business, such recognition will mean the possibility of cross-border co-operation with European partners from a tablet / smartphone.The decision on the recognition by the European Union of electronic trust services provided in Ukraine is adopted by the European Commission on the basis of an audit of the compliance of components of the system of electronic trust services in Ukraine with the legislation and standards of the EU. The next step is to conclude an intergovernmental agreement on the mutual recognition of electronic trust services between Ukraine and the EU.Currently, the priority task in the context of developing a system of electronic trust services and Ukraine’s integration into the EU’s Single Digital Market is to develop a detailed roadmap for ensuring compatibility and preparation for an agreement with the EU on the mutual recognition of electronic trust services between Ukraine and the EU.The article contains common chapters of a detailed roadmap and a proposal to use the EU funded open source library DSS (Digital Signature Service) as a technical basis that can ensure interoperability between Ukrainian and the EU trust services infrastructure.

Нормативно-правове регулювання досліджень пестицидів в умовах глобалізації світової економіки: міжнародний досвід

This article explores aspects of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, where an important part is a provision for the establishment of a free trade zone, which involves bringing Ukraine’s technical regulations and procedures in line with European ones. At the same time, special attention is paid to the requirements of harmonization of domestic statutory acts concerning placing of chemical products, including pesticides on the market, as well as quality and identity of their studies to assess the level of hazard to human health and environment. According to the authors, the main element of the identity of the quality of data for the assessment of chemicals is the use of the principles of Good Laboratory Practice in conducting studies, approved by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Tasks for solving these issues during field studies of pesticides have been outlined. Key words: OECD, plant protection products, Good Laboratory Practice, field studies, standard operating procedures.

Регламентація польових токсиколого-біологічних випробувань пестицидів на прикладі країн Європейського Союзу. Виклики для України. (Огляд нормативно-правових та науково-методичних документів)

The establishment of a free trade zone within the framework of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement provides the necessary measures to achieve the relevant national standards regarding the level of European and international requirements. One of the important issues is the harmonization of the regulation of the circulation of chemical products, including pesticides. Particular requirements are laid down to the quality of the preclinical studies of plant protection products (PPPs) in accordance with the principles of Good Laboratory (GLP) and Good Experimental Practice (GEP) in laboratory and field conditions, the need for implementation of which is particularly relevant for the mutual recognition of PPP test results at their registration in Ukraine and European countries. Key words: plant protection products, registration, Good Laboratory Practice, Good Experimental Practice, Good Agricultural Practice, field studies, standard operating procedures.

Політичний діалог між Україною та ЄС в рамках Угоди про асоціацію

Розкрито роль Угоди про асоціацію в поглибленні політичного діалогу між Україною та ЄС. Висвітлено роль політичного діалогу у формуванні політичної асоціації між Україною та ЄС. Проаналізовано політичний діалог між Україною та ЄС в рамках самітів Україна – ЄС, Ради асоціації, Комітету асоціації, Парламентського комітету асоціації та Платформи громадянського суспільства. Виявлено основні проблеми політичного діалогу між Україною та ЄС.

The voice of populist people? Referendum preferences, practices and populist attitudes

Populist parties claim that democratic regimes fail to deliver results that are in line with what ‘the people’ want. To address this policy outcome failure, they favour direct democracy (especially when in opposition). Yet we do not know whether populists’ proposed solution—referendums—resonates with ‘the people’ it wishes to empower. This study fills this gap. First, we analyse to what extent citizens with populist attitudes favour referendums. Second, we analyse to what extent populist attitudes are linked to the decision to vote in the 2016 Dutch referendum about the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement. Third, we analyse to what extent these attitudes are linked to their vote choice. To answer these questions, we use the Dutch 2016 National Referendum Survey. Among others, we find that populist citizens are more likely to favour referendums and they are more likely to cast a ‘No’-vote, regardless of their party preference and trust in government.

EU Common Values in the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement: Anchor to Democracy?

AbstractThis article analyses the Association Agreement (AA) between the EU and Ukraine. It argues that this agreement constitutes a new legal framework which has the objective to establish a unique form of political association and economic integration, characterised by three specific features: comprehensiveness, complexity and conditionality, and to promote EU values into the legal systems of Ukraine. The article studies substantive and procedural means of promotion and protection of EU values in the AA. The article scrutinises objectives, institutional framework and mechanisms of enhanced conditionality and legislative approximation in the AA. In addition, the means to protect EU values (the EU’s response to security conflicts in Ukraine) are discussed.

The Impact of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement on Constitutional Reform and Judicial Activism in Ukraine

This article looks at the first phase of the implementation and application of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which triggered unprecedented political, economic and legal reforms in Ukraine. In particular, the article focuses on the constitutional challenges that have arisen for Ukraine in the course of implementing the Association Agreement into its legal system. Two issues form the focus of consideration in the article. The first issue is effective implementation and application of the Association Agreement within the Ukrainian legal order. The second issue is compatibility between the Association Agreement and the Ukrainian Constitution. The latest political and legal developments in Ukraine are analyzed through the prism of effective implementation of the Association Agreement and the rise of pro-European judicial activism in Ukraine. In conclusion it is argued that the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement enhanced the adaptability of the national constitutional order to the European integration project and European common values.

КОНТРОЛЬ, МОНІТОРИНГ ТА ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ЯК ПРОЦЕДУРИ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ АДАПТАЦІЇ ЗАКОНОДАВСТВА УКРАЇНИ ДО ACQUIS ЄС

Problem setting. For today, it is impossible to define the stage of the process of adaptation of Ukrainian legislation in order to make it in line with tasks set in the EU – Ukraine Association Agreement (AA). The reason of it is that control, monitoring and evaluation, as procedures of legal adaptation, are not implemented appropriately. This situation is a consequence of the lack of necessary regulation and distribution of responsibility between institutions involved to the legal approximation. This article is aimed at setting accurate positions in researched issue and developing proposals on solving identified problems. Accordingly, the aim of the research is pointing the control, monitoring and evaluation as procedures of organizational support of legal approximation. The main content. In this research the author describes notions “control”, “monitoring”, “evaluation”, that forms understanding of differences between them using certain characteristics; applies objective and subjective approach in describing control, monitoring and evaluation as procedure for the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation, their law regulation, participants and stages; presented the author’s comparative table of considered procedures; identifies problems of their implementation and formulated the main proposals on their solving. Conclusion. The control, monitoring and evaluation are inalienable procedures of legal approximation, since due to them it becomes possible to follow the progress in fulfilment of Ukrainian obligations in the part of legal approximation, and react on dynamic situation of the country in time. Researched legal approximation procedures meaningfully differs in subject of activity analysis and possibility of making changes in existed plan on the bases of got findings. The analysis of implementation of control, monitoring and evaluation in the sphere of approximation is evidence of the situation that as of December 2017 their legal and organizational support is built only in the framework of activity on AA implementation (the first object). In order to improve these procedures within this object it is necessary to finalize the Order of planning (Order of planning, monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness of fulfilment of the EUUkraine Association Agreement, approved by the Act of the Government of Ukraine, dated from May 31, 2017, N 447.) and ensure of its implementation. The activity on fulfilment of the State program (State Program of adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to legislation of EU, approved by the Law of Ukraine dated from March 18, 2004, N 1629-IV) as the second object of these procedures is not practiced, since the program does not address current needs and challenges of this activity. Taking this into account, it is necessary to approve a new national program of legal approximation, clearly stipulate in their provisions tasks on implementing control, monitoring and evaluation that should be supported with appropriate responsibilities and algorithm of their implementation (separately or referring to the Order of planning). In addition, one body should be defined to be responsible for the approximation; the Coordination Council and authorized central executive authority on adaptation should be formally eliminated. Additionally, pointed changes are to clarify a correlation of activities on legal approximation and AA implementation.

The Non-Ratification Scenario: Legal and Practical Responses to Mixed Treaty Rejection by Member States

The near-death of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) painfully illustrated that the conclusion mixed agreements, i.e. agreements that list the EU, its Member States and a third party as contractors, may be derailed by a negative vote of (sub-)national decision-makers. Such a non-ratification entails a problematic conundrum: Despite the requirement for national ratification under international law, a Member State violates the EU’s legal principles of conferral and loyal cooperation when vetoing a mixed treaty in its entirety. The present article argues that the Member States are not competent to reject the EU exclusive parts of a mixed treaty in their own right. It suggests that the EU’s and the Member States’ legal authority to ratify mixed agreements is contingent on who owns and who exercises treaty-making power for substantive components and outlines several practical ways to align national (non-)ratification with the EU’s law on competences and procedure.

Ivan Franko National University of Lviv

The paper examines legal foundations of adaptation of the Ukrainian laws to the EU Law in the area of company regulation, in particular in the context of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Specific aspects of the corporate law implementation as well as topical acts and provisions are outlined in the research, which should be harmonized with the EU Law provisions in the process of law making on accompany regulation. The laws of Ukraine are analyzed with the view of defining the state of play with the implementation of relevant provisions of the Association Agreement on company regulation. New laws are subject to analysis, in particular, those related to coming into force of the Law of Ukraine «On amending some legislation on enhancing the level of corporate management in joint ventures» (of 23 March 2017, № 1983-VIII) and «On ventures with limited and additional liability», which takes into account certain provisions of EU Directive № 89/667/ЄЕС of 21 December 1989 on one-person private companies with limited liability in the edition of EU Directive 2009/102/ЄС of 16 September 2009, obligatory for implementation by Ukraine according to the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Key words : corporate law; EU-Ukraine Association Agreement implementation; company law.

EU Common Values in the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement: Anchor to Democracy?

This article analyses the Association Agreement (AA) between the EU and Ukraine. It argues that this agreement constitutes a new legal framework which has the objective to establish a unique form of political association and economic integration, characterised by three specific features: comprehensiveness, complexity and conditionality, and to promote EU values into the legal systems of Ukraine. The article studies substantive and procedural means of promotion and protection of EU values in the AA. The article scrutinises objectives, institutional framework and mechanisms of enhanced conditionality and legislative approximation in the AA. In addition, the means to protect EU values (the EU’s response to security conflicts in Ukraine) are discussed.

FOREIGN POLICY OF UKRAINE UNDER CURRENT CHALLENGES OF GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SECURITY

Foreign policy as one of the key areas for the functioning of sovereign states is designed to protect their national interests and promote maintenance of the welfare of the population. For Ukraine, such vectors of foreign policy as European, Euro-Atlantic, Eurasian, Middle Eastern, and Asian are traditionally important. One of the main vectors of Ukraine's foreign policy at the current stage is integration into the European Union. At the same time, an extremely important task for Ukrainian diplomacy is countering Russian aggression, protection of the population in the East of the state and in the Crimea and the soonest possible resolution of the conflict in the Donbas region. Consequently, this topic is of considerable interest, and it is worth examining in detail the current state of Ukraine's foreign policy, in particular, in view of the current challenges of global and regional security. Analysis of foreign and Ukrainian sources on this topic indicates the interest of researchers in matters of foreign policy of Ukraine, as well as international conflicts and their settlement. The purpose of this article is to study the current state of Ukraine's foreign policy in the context of the current challenges of global and regional security. Based on the analysis, it was determined that at the current stage there is sufficient potential for further development of Ukraine's foreign policy, in particular in view of the current challenges of global and regional security. On the basis of the analysis, one can arrive at conclusions that among the successes of Ukraine's foreign policy in recent years one can mention withstanding Russian aggression, introduction of a visa-free regime with the European Union, further deepening of cooperation within the framework of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and deepening of Euro-Atlantic integration. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the effective use of the foreign policy resource to efficiently respond to the challenges of global and regional security. There are further prospects for research related to the effective resolution of international conflicts at the current stage.

ПРАВОВІ ЗАСАДИ НАЛЕЖНОЇ ВИРОБНИЧОЇ ПРАКТИКИ (GMP) ДЛЯ ВЕТЕРИНАРНИХ ПРЕПАРАТІВ У ЄВРОСОЮЗІ: ДОСВІД ДЛЯ УКРАЇНИ

The article comprehensively analyzes current legislation of the European Union on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for veterinary medicinal products in particular the provisions of Directives No. 91/412 and No. 2001/82, and describes GMP main elements. It is noted that as a result of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement signing a new stage in the development of Ukrainian legislation regarding the turnover of veterinary medicinal products has begun, which is characterized by the increased impact of EU law on the legal regulation of this industry. The state of the appropriate national legislation reforming was analyzed. It was proved that today the main directions of such reforming are related to the integrated introduction of Good Manufacturing Practice and to the restoration of the production of veterinary medicinal products licensing. The importance of prompt and effective completion of these reforms which will have significant consequences not only for the national pharmaceutical industry, but also for the protection of the health of animals and people in general, was underscored. It was emphasized that the scale of the obligations undertaken by Ukraine to harmonize the legislation on the circulation of veterinary medicinal products requires prompt and qualified organizational work by the Ukrainian competent authorities.

Экономика Украины в 2017 году

The article sums up the results of development in the main sectors of Ukrainian economy in 2017 and monitors the foreign investment, the national debt and the foreign trade statistics. Special attention is paid to the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The conclusion about the start of the country’s economy restructuring is drawn. At the same time it is stated that transition to a sustainable economic growth is still not achieved.&nbsp

Association-cum-Integration: The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and ‘Association Law’ as an Institution of Ukraine’s European Integration

In the Court of Justice’s case law, association agreements have been recognised as forming part of the communitarian legal system since the famous ‘Haegeman’ judgment in 1974. The new-generation association agreements concluded by the EU with its Eastern neighbour states explicitly offer a ‘stake in EU law’ as one of the incentives for neighbour states to adapt to the Union’s normative transfer. Less pronounced are perspectives on ‘association law’ itself which derives from the respective association agreements, as a distinct normative order with its own regulatory content that can influence both the associated country’s legal system as well as the EU’s and its Member States’ legal orders. This article aims to address this gap in the literature by first defining and outlining the features of the EU ‘association law’ phenomenon; it then aims to provide an account of the legal nature, regulatory content as well as the legal institutional and functional features of the EU-Ukraine ‘association law’ derived primarily from the Association Agreement between the European Union, its Member States and Ukraine, which entered in force on 1 September 2017, as well as the burgeoning secondary association law, including joint-institutional acts. In what follows, the article will discuss the notion of EU ‘association law’ in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the so-called ‘new-generation association agreements’. It will then outline the teleological nature and instrumental logic of the EU-Ukraine ‘association law’ as an institution of integration, just as it will also disentangle the many layers of the institution of ‘association law’ – from participatory to instrumental and integration-oriented association modalities.

Netherlands’ Media vs. Ukraine’s Communication Efforts: The Case of the Netherlands’ Referendum in 2016

Ukraine has redeclared its way to European integration which means the arrangement of not only the information campaign directed at the Ukrainians but the promotion campaign directed at foreign public. A serious communication challenge was caused by the advisory referendum in the Netherlands concerning the ratification of the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement. Ukraine had to counteract the well-organized media campaign held by the Dutch Eurosceptics. The Ukraine’s communication efforts are analyzed within the context of the Dutch referendum, 2016.