A regular bilateral meeting of the Civil Society Platform for Ukraine - EU (CSP) took place on November 8-9, 2016 in Kyiv.
A regular bilateral meeting of the Civil Society Platform for Ukraine – EU (CSP) took place on November 8-9, 2016 in Kyiv.
Members of the Platform, representatives of NGOs, trade unions and employers’ organizations of Ukraine from Ukrainian side and members of the European Economic Social Committee (EESC) and permanent observers of the European network of organizations from European one, evaluated progress in the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and EU and noted that despite some steps forward in the European integration reforms, their dynamic is not sufficient and a civil society contribution to the process must be strengthened.
The meeting was also attended by Hugh Mingarelli, EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Maria Ionova, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian part of the Parliamentary Committee of the association between Ukraine and the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov, Director of the EU Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, representatives of ministries and experts.
Traditionally two thematic CSP reports were presented, and this time they were devoted to the following themes:
- Labor market regulation in the EU and Ukraine: similarities and differences. Adapting of the Ukrainian labor legislation to the EU legislation (co-rapporteurs V.Andreyev and A.Adamchyk).
- Anti-discrimination legislation and practice: the rights of vulnerable groups in the context of the Association Agreement (co-rapporteurs Yu.Tyschenko and U.Vesterlund).
A separate session was devoted to the war in Eastern Ukraine. Experts from the leading Ukrainian analytical centers of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the IWP presented the results of studies and opinion polls on public perception and possible scenarios around the occupied territories.
At the end of the meeting CSP members discussed mutual plans for activities in 2017 aimed at strengthening civil society involvement in the implementation of the Association Agreement and agreed the subject of the next thematic reports – the impact of a free trade zone with the EU on the socio-economic situation in Ukraine and analysis of the Agreement’s provisions in terms of environmental protection.
Members of the Civil Society Platform for Ukraine-EU endorsed a Joint Declaration, which expressed specific recommendations for Brussels and Kyiv, including:
- urged the Ukrainian Government to strengthen the political and institutional feasibility of implementing the Association Agreement;
- stressed on the need to make a concerted effort by the EU countries to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders;
- called on the Council and the European Parliament to adopt a final decision on visa-free regime for Ukraine by the end of 2016, and to find a political solution for the ratification of the Association Agreement completing in the context of the referendum in the Netherlands;
- stressed that the fight against discrimination on any grounds is a basic element of the agreement with the EU, and the achievement of European standards in this area, especially in the labor law, is one of the main objectives of the Agreement;
- called for giving a priority to the implementation of international labor standards, EU legislation and practice of social policy, employment and labor, labor laws’ reform to balance the social partners’ interests and to protect the workers’ rights.
On November 9, after the session completed, CSP members had a meeting with Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration I.Klympush-Tsintsadze to discuss its results, including the Joint Declaration and thematic reports, as well as the ways of strengthening the dialogue between civil society and the Government of Ukraine to support the European integration reforms.
Materials on the results of the 3rd meeting of the Platform:
- Joint Declaration of the Civil Society Platform for Ukraine – EU;
- CSP report on the labor market on the part of the AA CSP;
- CSP report on the labor market on the part of the EESC;
- CSP Report on non-discrimination on the part of the AA CSP;
- CSP Report on non-discrimination on the part of the EESC.
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Civil Society Platform for Ukraine – EU (CSP) is a civil society body established in accordance with Art. 469-470 of the Association Agreement. Under the terms of the Agreement CSP is a bilateral body consisting of representatives of civil society in Ukraine and members of the European Economic and Social Committee.
Meetings of the Civil Society Platform for Ukraine – EU took place with the support of the Civic Synergy Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation.
