You're reading: Tombinski: First stage of EU-Ukraine Action Plan could be finished before Vilnius summit

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Tombinski has said that the Ukrainian parliament could finish the first stage of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalization with the EU and bring the country's anti-discrimination and anti-corruption legislation into line with European standards by the end of November 2013.

“We hope that there is still time before the Vilnius summit, we
haven’t run out of it, and we still could see the completion of the
first stage and move to the next one at the end of this month,” he said
at the parliamentary hearing entitled “Visa Free Travel between Ukraine
and the EU: Prospects and New Opportunities for Ukrainian Citizens” in
Kyiv on Wednesday.

Tombinski also said that the Ukrainian parliament “has to overcome
two barriers – pass two laws and bring the anti-discrimination and
anti-corruption legislation of Ukraine into line with the EU’s
requirements” in order to complete the first stage of the action plan.

“The action plan lacks in two elements. This is not a requirement of
the EU – these are elements of a joint action plan approved by Ukraine
and the EU. Both sides signed it,” Tombinski said.

As reported, for the fulfillment of the first stage of the EU-Ukraine
Action Plan on Visa Liberalization, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s
parliament, has to pass the bill amending the laws on the prevention and
fight against discrimination in Ukraine (No. 2342) as well as improve
and pass the bill amending the laws on the fulfillment of the European
Commission’s requirements to the national anti-corruption policy (No.
3312).