On 24 November the European Union and Ukraine reaffirmed their strong partnership and shared commitment to a comprehensive reform agenda at the EU-Ukraine Summit in Brussels.

In this important occasion, the European Union confirmed a range of specific support programmes designed to foster accountable and transparent governance. A programme to support the fight against corruption, signed at the Summit by Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister, Ivana Klympush-Tsintsadze and the Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, will support the new anti-corruption bodies and the monitoring of anti-corruption efforts by the Rada and civil society with €15 million.

Moreover, in order to further support reforms of the Ukrainian police, the European Union will provide a €6 million support package covering the areas of community policing and public order. This package will offer training and equipment to police officers to provide community-oriented services and to develop professional public order structures. The Summit provided the European Union with an opportunity to outline the way forward regarding EU Macro-Financial Assistance to Ukraine.

The European Union also reaffirmed its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Concerning the Energy Partnership, a new Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Energy Partnership between the EU and Ukraine was signed. This new document replaces the previous Memorandum on energy cooperation, which was signed in 2005.

The Summit also offered an opportunity to discuss the EU's Proposal of September 2016 “Proposal for a Regulation on the introduction of temporary autonomous trade measures for Ukraine supplementing the trade concessions available under the Association Agreement” to improve access to the EU market for a number of industrial and agricultural products from Ukraine, in addition to the opportunities created already by the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). Summit participants assessed the progress made in the implementation of the DCFTA, and the European Union praised Ukrainian reforms in areas such as competition and public procurement. Progress on lifting existing trade irritants would further help to garner support of EU co-legislators to back the proposal for autonomous trade measures.

Official source:European Commission – Press release