The
EU Association Agreement (AA) was initialed on 30 March 2012 in Brussels;
[34] The treatment and sentencing (considered by
EU leaders as a politically motivated trial
[35]) of former
Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko had strained the relations between the EU and Ukraine.
[35][36] The
European Union and several of its member states, notably Germany, had pressured
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and his
Azarov Government to halt the detention of Tymoshenko in fear of her degrading health.
[37] Several meetings with Yanukovich had been deserted by
EU leaders, including the German president
Joachim Gauck.
[38][39]
At the request of opposition politicians in Ukraine, EU government officials boycotted the
UEFA Euro 2012 championship in Ukraine.
[38][40][41] EU leaders suggested that the AA, and the
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, could not be ratified unless Ukraine addressed concerns over a "stark deterioration of democracy and the
rule of law", including the imprisonment of Tymoshenko and
Yuriy Lutsenko in 2011 and 2012.
[42][43][44]
A 10 December 2012 statement by the
EU Foreign Affairs Council "reaffirms its commitment to the signing of the already initialed Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, as soon as the Ukrainian authorities demonstrate determined action and tangible progress in the three areas mentioned above, possibly by the time of the
Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November 2013". These three areas are: "Electoral, judiciary and constitutional reforms (in line with international standards are integral parts of it and commonly agreed priorities)".
[45]
Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, Ukraine's Ambassador to the EU, responded in February 2013 by rejecting any preconditions by the EU for signing the AA.
[46] However, on 22 February 2013, a resolution was approved by 315 of the 349 registered members of the
Verkhovna Rada stating that "within its powers" the parliament would ensure that the 10 December 2012 EU
Foreign Affairs Council "recommendations" are implemented.
[47] At the 16th EU-Ukraine summit of 25 February 2013,
[48] The
President of the European Council,
Herman Van Rompuy, followed up on the December 2012 EU Foreign Affairs Council statement by reiterating the EU's "call for determined action and tangible progress in these areas – at the latest by May, this year".
[49] The same day President Yanukovych stated Ukraine will "do its best" to satisfy the EU's requirements.
[49] At the time President Yanukovych was also in negotiations with Russia to "find the right model" for cooperation with the
Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.
[49] But also on 25 February 2013
President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso made it clear that "one country cannot at the same time be a member of a customs union and be in a deep common free-trade area with the European Union".
[49]
To coordinate preparation of Ukraine for European integration, the Government of Ukraine adopted a
Plan on Priority Measures for European Integration of Ukraine for 2013. Successful implementation of the plan was assumed to be one of the conditions necessary for signing of the Association Agreement, planned for 29 November 2013 during the
Eastern Partnership Summit in
Vilnius.
[50][51]
In March 2013,
Stefan Fuele, the EU's Commissioner for Enlargement, informed
the European Parliament that while Ukrainian authorities had given their "unequivocal commitment" to address the issues raised by the EU, several "disturbing" recent incidents, including the annulment of Tymoshenko's lawyer
Serhiy Vlasenko's mandate in the
Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament), could delay the signing of the agreements. However, the next day the
Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its optimism that they would still be signed in November.
[52] On 7 April 2013 a decree by President Yanukovych freed Lutsenko from prison and exempted him, and his fellow Minister in the
second Tymoshenko Government Heorhiy Filipchuk, from further punishment.
[53] On 3 September 2013, at the opening session of the Verkhovna Rada after the summer recess, President Yanukovych urged his parliament to adopt laws so that Ukraine would meet the EU criteria and be able to sign the Association Agreement in November 2013.
[54] On 18 September, the Ukrainian cabinet unanimously approved the draft association agreement.
[55] On 25 September 2013
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Rybak stated that he was sure that his parliament would pass all the laws needed to fit the EU criteria for the Association Agreement since, except for the
Communist Party of Ukraine, "the Verkhovna Rada has united around these bills".
[a][56] On 20 November 2013, the EU's Commissioner for Enlargement,
Stefan Fuele, stated he expected that the
Verkhovna Rada would the next day
[50] consider and adopt the remaining bills necessary for the signing of the association agreement, planned for 29 November 2013.
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