Ukraine-EU Association Council meeting was held in Brussels: key points

Today, September 5, the eighth meeting of the Ukraine-EU Association Council was held in Brussels. The Council discussed European integration, reforms, and further support for Ukraine.

The Cabinet of Ministers reports it.

The meeting was held under the leadership of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell. EU representatives condemned russia's invasion of Ukraine and emphasized that they would support the Ukrainian people.

The Ukrainian side expressed gratitude for the sanctions imposed against russia and called for the introduction of visa restrictions for russians.

Ukraine's reforms

During the meeting, it was reminded that Ukraine's membership in the EU depends on its own merits and the introduction of reforms. The EU welcomed the already achieved progress of Ukraine in trade, ecology, electronics, customs, fiscal, energy, and transit spheres. But the government was called to speed up the process.

In particular, Ukraine was advised to:

• complete the competition for the appointment of a new NABU director;
• introduce the reform of the CCU and ensure a transparent process of judges selection;
• achieve the reform of the legal framework for national minorities;
• continue the steps to implement the Deepened and Comprehensive Free Trade Zone;
• expand cooperation in the cyber sphere.

Support for Ukraine

The parties paid considerable attention to supporting Ukraine and overcoming the war's consequences. The Ukrainian side called for creating a special tribunal for russian war criminals.

The Council also discussed financial assistance and the provision of 9.5 billion euros to Ukraine, including 2.6 billion euros under the European Peace Fund. The European Union has assured that it will allocate the remaining funds from the package of macro-financial assistance, which was adopted back in May.

The parties welcomed the decision to allocate the European Investment Bank (EIB) credit funds in the amount of 1,059 million euros to cover priority needs.

Ukraine and the EU agreed to strengthen the partnership for post-war reconstruction. The Ukrainian representatives also thanked the EU for military aid and called for its reinforcement.