Door to Europe open for Ukraine if it complies with European standards says Fule
Post on: 2011-11-02 By: admin
European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood PolicyStefan Fule has said that the door to Europe is open for Ukraine if thecountry complies with European standards.
From the very start we were frank and open with our Ukrainianfriends in the issue of the preparation of the Association Agreement andsaid that the EU and its member states may show understanding andflexibility in many issues. However, there is no room for compromise inthe matters related to fundamental democratic values, human rights andfreedoms, legislation, judicial independence, he said in an interviewwith Radio Liberty on Saturday.
Since January of this year, we have made it clear that we have astrong feeling that there is a selective approach to justice in the caseof former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. I would formulate this idea,which the European Union has, as follows: 'We do not sentence and onedoes not sentence former heads of government to imprisonment justbecause they perform their political duties. And all the more theyshould not be sentenced to imprisonment on the basis of the laws thatexisted in the former communist Soviet Union,' Fule said.
When asked whether the signing of an association agreement wouldconflict with Ukraine's simultaneous entry into the Customs Union, Fulesaid: Signing of the agreements on the formation of the free tradeareas with Brussels or EU member states - on the one hand, and Moscowand Minsk - on the other is not a problem. However, once we starttalking about the extent of the integration, about a much deeperintegration in economic and other fields, here you cannot sit on twochairs.
The obligations arising from the Association Agreement are difficultto combine with the obligations that ensue from the Treaty on theCustoms Union, and vice versa. I mean, I think almost mutuallyexclusive, so that Ukraine could be at the same time an integral part ofthese two treaties, Fule said adding that Ukraine cannot be a part ofthese two agreements simultaneously.
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That's a mighty big "IF", Guest | Oct 23 at 07:36
Door to Europe open for Ukraine if it complies with European standards
Forget about European standards, lets have at least HUMAN standards instead of Yanukovych CRIMINAL standards!
Guest, Guest | Oct 23 at 05:34
The EU DOES NOThave the answers to Europes problems.IfEurope continues on this path it will eventually hit a brick wall in to complete choas. For example the EU is creating the conditions for a bloody civil war by inviting millions of non -western Muslims to live there thus creating friction.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 22:58
hey should not be sentenced to imprisonment on the basis of the laws that existed in the former communist Soviet Union,' Fule said.
I agree this law is open of misue and abuse.Remember it was Yushenko that initated Tymoshenko's persecution. Yanukovych just executed what Yushchenko started.
But the past laws were adopted by Ukraine as thor own in the transitory stage. Biot all laws form teh soviet times should be ignored.This is a bit of a stupid statement I trust it was made or reported out of context.
Ukraine has and continues to ignore the recomendatsion of PACE and the Vencie commisison. Botn of which have advocated Ukraine adopting a full Parliamwntary system of governance in line withb other European states and European values. This is the core of Ukraine's problem.Get the foundations right and then rebuild the state.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 22:52
A state can be a signatory to mutiple custom unions and trade agreements. Happens all the time. Its not a case of Us versus them.
Sweden is part of Scandinavia and Europe. Switzerland and Norway are not in the EU.They have successfully remained independent.The EU has isolated Ukraine for too long.It should free up some of its polcies but hold back on offering full membership until such time Ukraine can prove itself to be a responsible and stable democracy.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 22:50
The EU might not exist by the time Ukraine is ready to join. I have started to notice a lot of cracks in the EU in just the past couple years.
Guest, Guest | Oct 23 at 04:16
Yeah, There has been a lot of talk about teh united Stes spilting up also. Martrioages and divorces happen all the time. Th EU has not yet reached the point of unity in legislation or polciy development. National identiies can and will be a major force. But Europe does business in a different way.They talk, discuss and come to a copmmon understanding.Europe is by far more democratic then America. To a large extnt the stuff ups in Ukraine's recent history has happened as a result of US interference.The US should not even be invovled in Ukraine's internal or regional affairs. If Ukraine wants to be a part of Europe then it needs to look to Europe not the US. What Europe has to say is by far more important then the USA.
Amerika, Guest | Oct 24 at 09:10
Do you actually beleive that tripe that you wrote. The EU constantly and continually looks to NATO for security. NATO is run by the USA and to a lesser extent Canada and the UK. You can not isolate then EU from NATO and NATO from the USA. We are linked together. Ukraine has no hope of ascension to the EU until it realeases Yulia with a full pardon and apologies for miscarriage of justices. Ukraine maybe ready to join the EU, but the EU will have no part of it as long as Yulia is in prison.Ukraine would be better off making nice with Mother Russia and signing the Customs Union. becuase entry into the EU is not going to happen for at least 5 years.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 22:39
Wake up the soviet/US style presidential system has failed Ukraine. Yushchenko was hopeless.
As long as Ukraine is beholden to presidential rule it will never be a free democratic independent state.
POWER CORRUPTS AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTLY
Is the presidential position only available to those that have a lot of money or are famous. It costs hundreds of millions of dollars to run a presidential campaign. (In the US over a billion dollars per candidate) Who is going to pay for it and what do they hope to get in return? Scrap it.
Look at Estonia and Latvia, they are both relatively successful Parliamentary democracies. They made the right choice Ukraine did not.
Where there is no counsel the people fall but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety - proverbs.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 19:49
Mr Fule.......we know the door is open.
But lets be realistic,,,Yanuk will not bring Ukraine into European standards .....ever..!
He has not done ONE THING in that direction!! Has he? Except repeatedly lies that he is .ha ha
You know that, the EU knows that.
Instead of always saying the door is open,,,,why not start encouraging the Ukrainian people to oust this corrupt gov't...return to democracy....then EU integration can become an option.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 22:43
Because a bad apple can destroy the whole crop. Ukraine has to get its system of governance and jusiciary in order first.
The people of Ukraine must take collective responsibility for their own Governance.
Ukraine MUST reform its Constitution and implement a full parliamentary model of government (Along the lines of Estonia and Latvia - both former Soviet States that are now relatively successful EU member states)
Ukraine MUST remove power and authority from the office of the Presidentand have the parliament elect the head of state on the basis of a two-thirds constitutional majoiorty(Again in line with Estonia and Latvia's provisions)
Ukraine MUST reform the Parliament to make it more accountable and representative of the people. (This can best be achieved by establishing 45 local electorates with each electorate electing 9 members of parliament using a single transferable proportional representation voting system)
The Executive government SHOULD be elected from and by members of the parliament (As is the case under the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy)
Ukraine MUST overhaul the judiciary and system of law to bring it in line with European values in fulfillment of the principles of rule of law. The judiciary MUST be independent and professional. (It could consider adopting the British common law system)
Ukraine NEEDS to do all the above.. and then
HIT THE RESET BUTTON AND REBOOT
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 20:11
Implicit in the EU's decision is to encourage the Ukrainian people to oust this corrupt gov't..return to democracy.The EU cannot interfere into the internal political process of a sovereign state.It is time for the Ukrainian people to act in the best interest of their self-determination and decide if they truly desire democratic rule and freedom.
Guest, Guest | Oct 23 at 04:23
Implict in the EU's decsion and numerous recomendations is that Ukraine should refrom its system of government and adopt a full parliamentary model as did the Baltic states.The probolem is with teh office of teh president.Remove presidential authority and allow Ukraine to develop power dstructurs and mechanisms of self government.
If it was not for Yushchenko and his anti democratic policies Ukraine would be in a much better position today then it was in 2004.Yushchenko demonstrated teh folly of maintining a presidential system , he was the cause of most of the problems facing Ukraine. HE prevented Ukraine implementing long term solutions and adopting European values ane Europan models of democracy.Yushchenko set back Ukraine 20 or more years. If it was not for Yushchenko Yanukocych would not be Presidnet and would not weild such power.
Rick, Guest | Oct 23 at 05:58
I would agree that Yeshenko's failure as President opened the door for Yanucovich and his Presidency but it was not Yuschenko's failure alone. The repeated fights with Timschenko for total power is what truly brought the Orange revolution down. Tymoschenko wanted to be #1 and refused to work or cooperate with Yuschenko and they both in the end failed. Now Yulia sits in jail with a 7 year criminal charge. They both lost, Yanucovich won and the greatest loser is Ukraine and the Ukrainian People. It is a sad story and reality for Ukraine.
Amerika, Guest | Oct 24 at 09:14
The problem was that Orange revolution people were divided amongs tehemselves and Yanu and POR was not divided. Give them time and they will suffer the same fate. When Yurs and Yulia each formed their own political party it showed that neither of them were willing to compromises for the good of the people.
Guest, Guest | Oct 23 at 15:29
Garbage.The Orange revolution cam to an end in 2006 When Yushchenko refused to support the formation of an orange governing coalition.DO not try and place the blame on Tymoshenko. Yushchenko was the problem from day one. The problem with Tymoshenko was she trusted Yushchenko and kept giving him a second chance. She should have supported his impeachment in 2008. History will not look on Yushchenko;s term of office favourably.He will be remembvered as the President who had the least support. teh man who betaryed Ukraine and all those around him.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 16:33
Yanukovych is not a European standard.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 20:12
But he is the leader Ukraine elected.
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 20:21
Unfortunately he had enough money to buy the voters..
Guest, Guest | Oct 22 at 22:47
Yes this is the problem with a presidntkial systemOnly teh rich and powerful can run. It costs hundreds of millions of dollars to run a Presidential camoign (In the US one billion dollars per candidate). made worst by the two round voting system. Who is going to pay for it and what do they expect in return?There is no democracy in a presidential system. Scrap it.
Why is Estonia and Latvia relatively sucessful and Ukraine not?
25 out of 27 EU states are parliamentary democracies.
Guest, Guest | Oct 23 at 02:22
Not as many Ukrainians in Estonia and Latvia.
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