You're reading: Government outlines signing of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement as a priority for 2013

The Ukrainian government has outlined a number of priority measures on European integration for 2013, including work on the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, the completion of the first phase of the action plan on visa liberalization and cooperation in the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transport system.

“[It’s necessary] to step up work with EU institutions and member states on the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, continue consultations with the EU on the provisional application of parts of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and complete work on preparing the text of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement for signature,” reads a respective plan posted on the government’s Web site.

The plan also concerns ensuring, along with the European side, the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda in order to prepare for the Association Agreement’s implementation.

In addition, a priority in the document is improving electoral legislation taking into account the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and involving experts and technical potential of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the EU, ensuring Ukraine’s further participation in the EU operations and missions to maintain peace and security, reform the justice system, as well as ensuring the proper fulfillment of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

The plan also orders ministries and agencies to prepare proposals to reform the prosecutor’s office, in accordance with international democratic standards.

The document also notes the need to adopt laws in the sphere of combating corruption, improving the criminal and criminal procedural law, countering illicit trafficking in firearms and other initiatives.

The government also stressed the need for the Ukrainian parliament to ratify an agreement with the EU introducing amendments to the visa facilitation agreement, as well as complete measures for the transition to the second phase of the action plan on the liberalization of the visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU.