Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner, recently visited Kyiv as a member of the EU delegation that took part in the Ukraine-EU summit on Sept. 14. In the following interview Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner takes stock of the current stage of relations between Brussels and Kyiv and the annual 11th EU- Ukraine Summit. She also explains why our country should use the European Neighborhood Policy in a more effective way. The European Commissioner believes that there is a lot to be done in Ukraine, whose leaders should implement reforms before talking about the prospect of EU membership.
Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner, you have probably heard sharp words from Prime Minister Yanukovych, who said that Ukraine’s relations with the European Union are worsening?
“First of all, I don’t think that this is our assessment. Our assessment is clear that we have been working very constructively with Ukraine, particularly on the negotiations concerning the enhanced agreement. We have had four negotiations until now, they have been running very well, and we are already expecting a fifth one in mid- October after the summit. So I think that we can really assess things in a smooth and correct way. On our part, absolutely what has been our aim is that we have tried to assist Ukraine in coming much closer to the European Union. I think this should be our common goal. Also the WTO negotiations were working in a very constructive atmosphere very recently in Brussels. Of course, there is still one or more outstanding issues, but I must say, we have again come closer to a solution, and I think we should see things in this positive atmosphere, not the glass half empty, but the glass half full.”
Speaking about the summit, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk said that it is becoming a “good political signal.”
“I think it is very important that we have summits in a regular rhythm. This is number one. Even if there are elections in a very short time, we think it is of course important to keep up our summits. We have a huge agenda. One of the most important issues on the agenda today will be energy issues, because we have a memorandum of understanding on energy, and we have been working very steadfastly with Ukraine to arrive at many concrete points: be it on nuclear safety, be it on energy efficiency, be it on the question of the grids, the network of electricity, gas, oil, be it on the transit routes, but also visa facilitation. We have already negotiated a visa facilitation agreement, and now it is in the process of being ratified. The European Parliament has to adopt it, but on the other hand, the ratification process still has to go on because we also want to see Bulgaria and Romania included.
During your recent speech in Brussels you said that Ukraine will be offered a “mobile partnership” within a short time. Later, at the BBC’s Ukrainian Service, you said that the European Neighborhood Policy is not aimed at EU membership. Can you predict when the negotiations will start or signals will appear, which would mean that Ukraine can reckon on EU membership?
“We have clearly said from the outset that the Neighborhood Policy is a very important policy, that is, a complementary policy to the enlargement policy, but it’s not full membership, very clearly not. At the same time, I’ve always said that we are in favor of Ukraine’s European aspirations, and that this actual policy does not prejudge any future actions of the European Union. You know very well that for membership, even for candidate possibility, the European perspective, there is a need for a unanimous decision by the Council, which would not be there at this moment. So it is very clear, this is not a new idea, but I always say, and I advise this to Ukraine: try to use this Neighborhood Policy. It is highly important. Every year 147 million euros are given to Ukraine. This is a huge amount of money, apart from the expertise it takes for twinning projects, apart from our cooperation in the energy sector, apart from the offer, we give visa facilitation, and not every country has visa facilitation yet. I’ve said that Ukraine should use the possibilities much more and not always ask questions that we cannot answer at this moment, besides those where the answer is already known.”
What, in your opinion, will be the reaction of the European Commission to the resolution of the European Parliament that has recommended that the prospect of Ukraine’s membership be included in the new enhanced agreement?
“This is a resolution of the European Parliament. It is for the Council to take a unanimous decision. And there is no unanimity in the Council at this stage. This is the reality. And I think Ukraine should use the momentum of now, because there is a lot that has to be done in Ukraine. We are not ready, and Ukraine is not ready.”
When will both sides be ready?
“This depends very strongly on the future. You know, Ukraine should first try to use the time for reforms. And there’s a lot to be done. I must say, after the elections we want to see all the constitutional changes that have to be done in order to really have political stability. And we especially think about reforms in the judiciary, the justice system. We want to see corruption being tackled. You know, there are many, many things that have to be done. This is an important country, it’s a huge country. It’s a country in Europe; that is all clear. But at the same time, I think, Ukraine should use this offer because the Neighborhood Policy is a great offer from the European Union.”
What response did you give to the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Policy Department, who told you that the European Neighborhood Policy should be renamed the European Union’s Neighborhood Policy or something else?
“First, this is not the offer. This is European Union policy. And the policy is the Neighborhood Policy. This is a differentiated policy, which means that each and every country can get a lot within this framework. The Neighborhood Policy is only a big framework and within this framework they can have the possibility to go further. And Ukraine is already our farthest advanced country.”
In your speech on Sept. 3 you mentioned that the situation with each and every partner of the European Neighborhood Policy is different, and that with regard to some of them, probably some asymmetry is needed. How can “assymetry” apply to Ukraine and what does it mean?
“When I spoke about asymmetry, I meant all the neighborhood countries. That means for those who are poorer than us we have to do more; for instance, trade preferences, for Moldova, for instance. Ukraine already has the farthest advanced status. I think you should put that into the minds of the population. Ukrainians should see that they are on a very good path, but for that there has to be a constructive attitude from both sides.”
