You're reading: EU says Tymoshenko sentence could hit Ukraine ties (updated)

BRUSSELS, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday it was deeply disappointed by the sentencing of Ukraine's former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko to seven years in prison and said it could have profound implications for relations with the bloc.

A statement from EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the trial confirmed that justice was being applied selectively in Ukraine in politically motivated prosecutions of opposition leaders and members of the former government.

"The EU will reflect on its policies towards Ukraine," she said in a statement on behalf of the European Union.

"The way the Ukrainian authorities will generally respect universal values and rule of law, and specifically how they will handle these cases, risks having profound implications for the EU-Ukraine bilateral relationship, including for the conclusion of the Association Agreement, our political dialogue and our cooperation more broadly."

EU officials have warned Ukraine that the planned bilateral agreements on political association and free trade may never be ratified by EU states if Tymoshenko ends up in jail, or is barred from running for office before 2012 parliamentary elections.

Ashton said the right of appeal should not be compromised by barring her from future elections.

Ashton said on Monday that EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg that day had expressed great concern about the forthcoming verdict and would reflect on the implications for the association agreement, negotiations on which have reached their final stages.

EU diplomats have proposed "decriminalising" Tymoshenko’s alleged offence — reclassifying it as administrative rather than criminal.