Integration or Imitation? What Is Ukraine Choosing on Its Way to the EU
If Ukrainians really know how to do anything, it is how to imitate civilization. We will adopt all the best practices that are possible, the highest standards, the strictest requirements... So that in the end, the head of our country's tax office would be appointed to the position by the office of the President of Ukraine without any competition. We will do everything possible so that, without paying attention to the decision of the supervisory board of the Defense Procurement Agency of Ukraine, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine brings a new head there using a post in Telegram. We will take all the best and most relevant measures to arrest the chief psychiatrist of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2025, hoping that no one will remember that in 2017 he was already arrested from the same position and on the same charges…
Against this background, the December ambition of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that Ukraine aims to “open all clusters next year” in negotiations on joining the European Union, looks like a mockery. Moreover, it looks like a mockery of both our European partners and all of us.
European integration is generally not a matter of ambition. After all, it is worth noting that even neglecting established procedures and parallel consideration of everything that is possible will not allow all processes to go through so quickly. And we, like no one else, are interested in the best possible preparation, that is, not quick preparation, because the degree of our readiness will determine whether the benefits of membership in the European Union outweigh the risks that it will inevitably bring.
The desire of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to ask for the impossible in order to get at least something is understandable. The only thing that is incomprehensible is why our European integration aspirations are present only in words, while in practice we demonstrate diametrically opposed, literally hostile to European values.
In addition, it is worth noting that, according to European diplomats, our plans for this year are much more modest. Rather, we are talking about the possible opening of negotiations in three clusters during 2025. “We aim at opening two clusters - hopefully during Poland's presidency of the EU Council - and perhaps a third cluster during Denmark's presidency, which follows Poland. Of course all these steps will have to be decided by the EU Member States by unanimity, and will depend on Ukraine's progress," noted an informed interlocutor of the ZN.UA publication.
In addition, it is worth emphasizing that there is no intrigue in what the negotiations start with, they always open with the so-called fundamental cluster, and it is closed last, after considering all other clusters (see reference).
Reference ZN.UA:
The process of European integration of Ukraine involves grouping the legislation of the European Union into 35 chapters and six clusters. The priority is the so-called fundamental cluster, or "Fundamental Areas". It covers five key sections: public procurement, statistics, the judicial system, justice and financial control. This cluster opens first and closes last, as it contains elements critical for European integration, namely, we are talking about public administration reform, the functioning of democratic institutions and economic criteria.
Other clusters:
Cluster 2. Internal market (free movement of goods, services, capital).
Cluster 3. Competitiveness and inclusive growth.
Cluster 4. Green agenda and sustainable connectivity.
Cluster 5. Resources, agriculture and alignment.
Cluster 6: External relations.
Progress criteria:
- Implementation of all promised reforms.
- Passing the official screening of state legislation.
- Demonstration of consistent progress in implementing European standards.
- Successful procedures in the Council of the European Union (three unanimous decisions of the Council of the European Union).
- Implementation of all promised reforms.
- Passing the official screening of state legislation.
- Demonstration of consistent progress in implementing European standards.
- Successful procedures in the Council of the European Union (three unanimous decisions of the Council of the European Union).
“This is a very important stage, as the 'Fundamental Cluster' is the most complex. Not just for Ukraine, but for any country. Moreover, Ukraine has certain advantages on this path because you began working with us on fundamental reforms even before the EU accession process started,” said the Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, in a comment to the ZN.UA publication.
The diplomat encourages us: “You are not starting from scratch: the creation of anti-corruption institutions, judicial system reforms, prosecutorial reform, and basic market economic reforms that have already taken place are all components of this cluster. I would also note the acceleration that has occurred over the past two and a half years on this reform path. Various meetings have taken place on this fundamentals cluster, from with public procurement, judicial reform, and more. Based on these, a report was prepared that is to be reviewed by the EU Council, which mustreview and approve it unanimously".
However, we understand perfectly well the authenticity of these reforms: anti-corruption agencies are “spoiling” like stale vegetables on the counter, mold spores have already reached everyone, including the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). After all, judges who fell under the reform still amaze with their impudent decisions and relatives who have already become millionaires, in addition, prosecutors of our country one by one turned out to be “with special needs”. And the market orientation of our economy is determined solely by the period with which it is compared. In relation to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, we are, of course, very market-oriented. However, it is worth emphasizing that it is not with the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic that we should compare ourselves in 2025, right?
Each piece of news like the one mentioned at the beginning of this text (and we have three of them a week) greatly complicates negotiations with European partners, clearly demonstrating how much we are actually cheating both them and ourselves.
Of course, everyone has their own shortcomings and sins, which goes without saying, between Berlin and Bucharest is an abyss, between Lisbon and Prague is a chasm. In addition, it is worth emphasizing that it is always possible to turn a blind eye to the alleged reforms, because in general, no one is against enlargement. The situation is developing this way for one simple reason, namely, the fact that the weaker, more vulnerable a country is in the union, the more often that country will lose labor, sales markets, and technologies to strong countries. However, we currently have a different political situation, because there are those who always express their opinion against certain implementations, namely countries such as Slovakia or Hungary. They are guided exclusively by slogans learned in the Kremlin. They will not miss the opportunity to once again poke us in the face at our own insufficient achievements in certain areas and shortcomings and organize an appearance in the press on this occasion. In addition, it is worth noting that, given the long and difficult path we have to go, the ability of the current Ukrainian authorities to play along with our opponents in the European Union is frankly stressful.
Katarina Mathernova, in a comment to the ZN.UA publication, briefly outlined the procedural issues: “After approval, the Ukrainian side will be obliged to submit three roadmaps (regarding democratic institutions, the rule of law and public administration in the country) and an action plan regarding national minorities. As soon as the member states agree that their requirements have been met, they will agree on a mandate for negotiations in the European Union. Thus, a significant amount of work and three unanimous decisions of the member states remain before the opening of the chapter.”
Three unanimous decisions will await us only at the first stage, and then the procedure will be repeated again and again.
“How quickly can this be done? It depends primarily on the quality of the roadmaps and the action plan. But the positions of the countries making the decisions also carry weight. We hope this can be done sometime in Spring 2025. The Polish presidency of the EU Council is eager to expedite this process,” the Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine noted in a comment to the ZN.UA publication.
In addition, it is worth emphasizing that sources in diplomatic circles of the European Union are inclined to believe that the next cluster after the fundamental one will be the “External Relations” cluster, which is relatively easier to implement. The third cluster will most likely be the “Internal Market”. Regarding it, one can also hear many optimistic opinions that the existing Agreement on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Ukraine and the European Union closes part of the components of this cluster.
However, not everyone here in Ukraine shares this optimism. We are not talking about healthy skepticism now; we are talking about unhealthy sabotage. This is happening because in our country, in the conventional “club of white business”, not all its members are white, so on the sidelines, local bureaucrats are already afraid of not only external but also internal resistance, before the negotiations as such begin. This resistance will probably come from big Ukrainian business, which “lives quite well even without all these European regulations”.
Think about it, would it be possible in the European Union to decide on a super-tough taxation of private parcels, from which large retailers obviously benefit and ordinary citizens lose? And what about the ubiquitous gray smuggling and sales without post-audit, because it does not exist as a phenomenon? And would such a thing as a systematic underestimation of export value with all sorts of resales to oneself and changing export codes right at sea be possible? The first thing that catches your eye when analyzing our foreign trade operations is the difference in practices when trading with European Union countries, where everything is usually decent, and with other countries, where the word "decency" may not even be in the dictionary.
What can be said is the truth. After all, there is a whole layer of entrepreneurs in Ukraine whose business models do not work if they play by our rules, not to mention the rules of the European Union, where conditions may be even more difficult. It is worth noting the fact that they remain deaf to the arguments that European integration will give them a healthy competitive environment, protection from abuse, access to investments, new sales markets, and increased solvency in their own market. All of the above are transformations of medium and long-term prospects, and they think in terms of the reporting period and the electoral cycle. Therefore, it must be said that even if we open negotiations on the “Internal Market” cluster this year, it will be very difficult for us to close them, given the volume of legislation that it includes and the expected resistance of local lobbyists to any changes.
And if we add to the business resistance the above-mentioned unique ability of the Ukrainian authorities to make legislative changes for the sake of acceptance, not implementation, and all our European integration ambitions can be simply brought to naught.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that from a political point of view, as well as from an economic one, European integration is currently the only opportunity for Ukraine to successfully overcome both the current economic crisis and post-war recovery.
A year ago, we emphasized that, despite all the plans of our partners, we must prepare for integration according to our own plan, which should be much broader and much more difficult to implement than adopting a law on lobbying or changes in anti-corruption legislation. After all, it is worth remembering the fact that our share of the benefits from joining the European Union directly depends on what our economy will be at that time of integration and in what direction it will develop. Having a common market means a constant struggle for a place in it. Such a thing as transparent borders is a chronic migration of educated youth to richer countries. And the introduction of a common currency is an extraordinary risk and a chronic dependence of monetary policy on influential trends and the general temperature in the European Union hospital. Thus, it can be said that the rapprochement of business environments is an endless competition with neighboring countries in tax and administrative regulations.
In addition, it is worth noting that over the past year, we have not seen anything like an internal plan or at least an awareness of its necessity, moreover, we are now observing a systematic disregard for even basic norms of decency in relations with European partners. It will be a shame if everything ends before it begins, because some political leader on Bankova Street decided that he is smarter than other people. However, it is worth emphasizing that it will be even worse if the result of European integration is only a screen of correct laws and regulations, behind which the invariably unpleasant Ukrainian realities will be hidden.
Unfortunately, it depends only on us how much benefit our country's membership in the European Union will bring us.
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