Ukrainian Government to Take Urgent Measures on European Integration

KYIV, Ukraine, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine instructed the government to take a number of priority steps in order to ensure further development of strategic partnership between Ukraine and the EU. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych signed the respective decree on March 13, 2013.

The new decree requires the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to prepare and submit the third report on the country's progress in the Association Agreement (AA) Action Plan implementation. This measure is necessary for completing the process of the EU-Ukraine AA signing in 2013 and ensuring its subsequent implementation.

The government will on a monthly basis provide a progress report to the EU on Ukraine's steps, agreed upon at the 16^th EU-Ukraine Summit in Brussels. The Cabinet of Ministers is also required to provide practical support to the monitoring mission of the European Parliament in Ukraine. Timely and full implementation of the plan for improving the elections legislation is also on the agenda. In addition, the government should assist Kyiv, Mykolayiv, and Cherkasy oblasts and Kyiv City State Administration to organize and hold the rerun of recent parliamentary elections in single-member constituencies.

Ukrainian government is also required to support the draft law on amending the Constitution of Ukraine, regarding the powers of the Accounting Chamber.  Notably, the parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy recommends the bill, expanding the powers of the Accounting Chamber: giving it the authority to exercise control over the revenues to the state budget. Such measures will allow for full control over the implementation of the State Budget of Ukraine.

The government was directed to control the implementation of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, Law on Legal Profession, the national preventive mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, etc.

Notably, in February 2013 Ukrainian government fulfilled all the priority measures on the EU-Ukraine integration plan for 2013. The plan features more than 70 activities; Kyiv has fulfilled six of them as of February 13, 2013. Some of the requirements of the plan were met ahead of schedule: the government has already approved measures on improving electoral legislation and reforming the state aid institution.