In the run-up to an informal meeting of the members of the EU-Ukraine Association Council on 8 December, the European Union published its annual report on the implementation of associations on Ukraine, which sets out the progress made by Ukraine in implementing the reforms of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement over the past year. Among the highlights of the report are the speed of legislative activities in the first months of the new Ukrainian parliament and government, as well as the progress made in important reforms such as banking and land reform despite the COVID-19 outbreak. The report highlights the significant progress made by Ukraine in the digital sector. The EU also welcomes the reform of decentralisation and encourages Ukraine to adopt monitoring rules in this area. Other successes are the policy of development of agriculture and rural areas. The report highlights the meteoric legislative activity that characterized the first months of Ukraine`s new parliament – elected in 2019, shortly after Volodymyr Selenskyj, the country`s president, was himself elected in a landslide – and reflects the expectations of Ukrainian citizens. After the adoption of a law on bank resolution that helped ensure Ukraine`s financial stability, the report says it is important to guarantee the independence of the central bank and maintain monetary and financial stability in the longer term, despite the resignation of the Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine in July. The implementation of the trade chapter of the Association Agreement continued, including certain measures in the area of trade and tariff facilitation. On 2nd December the EU published its annual report on the implementation of the associations on Ukraine.

The report describes Ukraine`s implementation last year of the reforms of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. It will be published before the informal meeting of the members of the EU-Ukraine Association Council on 8 December. REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASSOCIATION PROGRAMME AND THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND UKRAINE (JANUARY-MAY 2016). Ukraine is the second country in Europe and one of the poorest on the continent. In order to improve living conditions, Ukrainian politicians and public opinion are endeavouring to strengthen ties with the European Union. In particular, they are working to strengthen economic cooperation in order to bring prosperity to Ukraine. The Association Agreement signed by Ukraine and the EU in 2014 not only includes public administration reforms, but also includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area including duty-free access to the Ukrainian market and the EU internal market, measures to improve the competitiveness of Ukrainian products and the adoption of EU legal and economic standards. Nevertheless, the implementation of the necessary reforms remains a major challenge. Expertise is lacking, both at the institutional level and in terms of human resources. Similarly, reforms are hampered by relatively inefficient structures and processes and unnecessary bureaucracy. Key actors are not able to fulfil their role as coordinators for European integration issues and specialised ministries have no clear focus or opportunity to learn from one another.

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