Ukraine’s membership in EU: NGOs discuss joint work at EuroSummit in Kyiv

The EU Delegation to Ukraine td Ukrinform that the event was attended by more than 200 representatives of NGOs, experts, activists, government officials, including the government and the Verkhovna Rada, as well as Ukraine's partners from the Eurean Union.

As the EU Delegation reminded, on 23 June 2022, the Eurean Council granted Ukraine the status of a candidate country for EU membership, and on 14 December 2023, it made another historic decision to en negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU. Civil society organisations and think tanks have significantly contributed to the implementation of the Association Agreement. The next stage is the full implementation of this agreement and all the portunities of the candidate status, which will mean closer coeration in the field of pitics and security, gradual economic integration into the EU single market. The expertise available to the Ukrainian public is needed to strengthen the negotiation process, the statement said.

"Despite Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the country is working to restore and implement reforms in preparation for EU membership. Ukrainian society demonstrates resilience, vitality and unwavering will to democracy, human rights and Eurean values. The Eurean Union has supported and will continue to support Ukrainians on this path. Coeration with civil society remains a key priority for the EU. That is why the EU in Ukraine works with civil society in all sectors and across the country," said Stefan Schleuning, Head of Coeration at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

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The EU Delegation also reminded that the first round of negotiations (an intergovernmental conference) could take place this summer. The general negotiation framework for Ukraine will be presented then. "It is important that the framework indicates the government's readiness to engage civil society organisations (CSOs) in the negotiation process. The main aspects of invvement are: informing the public about the progress of the negotiations; the government needs to devel a mechanism for engaging the public; in turn, the public should be able to actively monitor the accession process, its dynamics and the correctness of the implementation of reforms," the statement said.

The EU Delegation also noted that the organisations that assisted the government and ministries in implementing the Association Agreement have strong expertise, and it is necessary to work with them and raise their awareness of EU law in the context of the negotiation process.

"Since 24 February, civil society organisations have once again proved that they are a reliable support for the state and its defenders. Civil society in Ukraine is influential, dynamic and adaptive. ISAR Ednannia [the Initiative Centre for Promoting Activity and Develment of Public Initiatives «Ednannia"] works to strengthen the public sector and improve the environment in which non-profit organisations erate. The develment of civil society is a significant indicator of a country's values and freedoms. Among the leaders today are experts who understand their field from the inside and as deeply as possible and are able to significantly strengthen the position of the Ukrainian government in the process of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU," said Vodymyr Sheyhus, Executive Director of ISAR Ednannia.

The EuroSummit of NGOs brought together representatives of civil society in various fields of activity (climate and green transition, agricultural sector, human capital, entrepreneurship, public administration reform).

"EasyBusiness experts analysed more than 20 cases of post-war recovery. A third of them were achieved through coeration between the private, public and civil society sectors. Eurean integration and Ukraine's economic recovery are intertwined processes. Accession to the EU will create new portunities for business develment and GDP growth. Already now, as the EU reorients itself towards more friendly exporters, we have new portunities for niche-shoring and attracting new investments. In the future, we need to join the Eurean value chains at higher levels than the supply of raw materials – we need to devel the production of high value-added products," said Dmytro Livch, head of EasyBusiness.

After the presentation of analysts' research and panel discussions with representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, Parliament, the EU Delegation to Ukraine and experts, thematic workshs and experience exchange sessions were held, as well as networking to devel prosals for scenarios for engaging civil society organisations in the negotiation process on Ukraine's EU membership.

According to the EU Delegation, all the outcomes and prosals of the summit will be handed over to the government, along with lists of participating organisations that are ready to provide support in the negotiation process. The organisers of the summit will also work with international develment partners to prerly channel assistance to NGOs and think tanks to strengthen their capacity to assist the government in the negotiation process.

The EuroSummit of NGOs was organised by EasyBusiness with the support of Ednannia within the framework of the project "Sectoral Support Initiative for Civil Society in Ukraine", implemented by Ednannia in consortium with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Pitical Research (UCIPR) and the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM), thanks to the support of the American pele through the United States Agency for International Develment, as well as in partnership with the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

Photo: EU Delegation to Ukraine