European Neighbourhood Policy

Annex

Perceptions of the ENP Partner States

Eastern Partners

Ukraine – willing

Ukraine is the most vocal state in the neighbourhood proclaiming its desire to join the EU. The

Post-Orange revolution developments have only strengthened this ambition. Ukraine’s

democratic progress has been rather good, although its achievements have not yet been

consolidated. Ukraine’s greatest progress was in ensuring freedom of the media, free and fair

elections and Europeanising its foreign policy on the separatist conflict in Transnistria. Its

biggest problems stemmed from an incapacity to mobilise a stable domestic majority supporting

economic reforms. As a result Ukraine has still not been able to join the WTO and EU-Ukraine

trade relations have advanced less quickly than they could. Still, Ukraine remains the EU’s

leading partner in the Eastern neighbourhood, and negotiations have already begun on an

‘enhanced agreement’, which should cover deep free trade, visa facilitation, energy dialogue,

cooperation in justice and home affairs and links to the CFSP.