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Challenges of the EU-Ukraine AA’s Effective Implementation into the Legal Order of Ukraine

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EU External Relations Law

Abstract

The chapter looks at the progress of the implementation and application of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (AA) that triggered unprecedented political, economic and legal reforms in Ukraine. Particularly, the paper focuses on the constitutional challenges that emerged in Ukraine during the implementation of the AA into its legal system. Two issues were considered in the chapter. The first issue is the effective implementation and application of the AA within the Ukrainian legal order. The second issue is the compatibility between the AA and the Constitution of Ukraine. Latest political and legal developments in Ukraine are being analysed through the prism of effective implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and promotion of the EU common values. In conclusion, it is argued that the EU-Ukraine AA enhanced the adaptability of the national constitutional order to the European integration project and the EU common values.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Van Elsuwege et al. (2015), pp. 1–19.

  2. 2.

    Decision of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers No 905-p of 21 November 2013. Available at <http://zakon0.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/905-2013-%D1%80>.

  3. 3.

    Van Elsuwege (2014).

  4. 4.

    Petrov (2016), pp. 153–165.

  5. 5.

    Van der Loo (2015).

  6. 6.

    Kurowska and Tallis (2009), pp. 47–64.

  7. 7.

    Vasilyan (2011), pp. 341–357.

  8. 8.

    Marxsen (2014), pp. 367–391.

  9. 9.

    Ukrainian Law ‘On amending the Constitution of Ukraine (as to justice)’ Zakon Ukrainy “Pro Vnessennia Zmin do Konstitutsii Ukrainy (shodo pravosuddia)” (02 June 2016) No 1401-VIII, VVR (2016) No 28.

  10. 10.

    The reservations mainly concerned the scope of judges’ immunity and preserving the balance of power in the procedure for appointing judges and prosecutors (election of the Supreme Law Council, which is responsible for appointing judges (qualified majority voting) and the right of the Ukrainian Parliament to veto the appointment and removal of Ukraine’s General Prosecutor). European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), Opinion №803/2015 of 26 October and 3 December 2015.

  11. 11.

    Preamble, Art. 1(2)(e) and Art. 2 Association Agreement, O.J., 2014, L 161/1.

  12. 12.

    Art. 14 Association Agreement, O.J., 2014, L 161/1.

  13. 13.

    Joint Staff Working Document ‘Association Implementation Report on Ukraine’ (SWD(2016) 446 final).

  14. 14.

    Art. 8 Association Agreement, O.J., 2014, L 161/1.

  15. 15.

    Vysnovok Constitutsiynoho Sudu Ukrainy shodo Vidpovidnosty Constitutsii Ukrainy Rymskomu Statutu Mizhnarodnogo criminalnogo sudu (Decision of the Ukrainian Constitutional Court on the Statute of the International Criminal Court) (July 11, 2001), Case No 1-35/2001, where the Ukrainian Constitutional Court stated that in accordance with the Rome Statute the International Criminal Court complements the system of national judiciaries. For example, the International Criminal Court may exercise its jurisdiction on the territory of States Parties to the Rome Statute. This contradicts Title VIII “Judiciary” of the Ukrainian Constitution, under which (Art. 124) “delegation of the competences of the national judiciary is not permitted”.

  16. 16.

    Briefing of the European Parliament “Ukraine and the Minsk II agreement: On a frozen path to peace?”, available at <http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/573951/EPRS_BRI(2016)573951_EN.pdf>.

  17. 17.

    Law of Ukraine “On Education”, Zakon Ukrainy “Pro Osvity” (05 September 2017) No 2145-VIII, VVR (2017) No 38-39.

  18. 18.

    “Hungary Threatens to Block Ukraine’s EU Approach”, EU Observer (27 September 2017), available at <https://euobserver.com/tickers/139173>. Hrynevych (2017).

  19. 19.

    “Hungary seeks to recognize Ukraine violator of Association Agreement over educational law”, available at <https://www.unian.info/politics/2190089-hungarian-foreign-minister-to-put-ukraines-education-law-on-agenda-of-ua-eu-association-councils-meeting.html>.

  20. 20.

    Opinion of the European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission) ‘On the Provisions of the Law of Education of 5 September 2017’, 11 December 2017, Opinion No 902/2017.

  21. 21.

    See <https://go.coe.int/acBTf>.

  22. 22.

    Joint Staff Working Document, Association Implementation Report on Ukraine, (12 December 2019), SWD(2019) 433 final.

  23. 23.

    Ibid.

  24. 24.

    Law of Ukraine “On Amendment to the Constitution of Ukraine (regarding strategic course of the state towards the acquisition of the full membership in the EU and NATO)”, (07 February 2019), No 2680-VIII. The amended relevant provision of the preamble of the Constitution of Ukraine reads as “strengthening civil accord on the Ukrainian soil and confirming the European identity of the Ukrainian peoples and irrevocability of the European and Euroatlantic course of Ukraine”.

  25. 25.

    Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service”, (10 December 2015) VVR (2016) No 889-VIII.

  26. 26.

    Law of Ukraine “On High Anti-Corruption Court”, (07 June 2018) VVR (2018) No 2447-VIII and Law of Ukraine “On National Anti-Corruption Agency”, (14 October 2014) VVR (2014) No 1698-VII.

  27. 27.

    Petrov (2014), pp. 137–158.

  28. 28.

    Petrov and Kalinichenko (2011), pp. 325–353.

  29. 29.

    Law of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ‘About the All State Programme of adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to that of the EU’ (official translation), Zakon Ukrainy “Pro Zagalnoderzhavnu Programu Adaptatsii Zakonodavstva Ukrainy do Zakonodavstva Evropeyskogo Soyuzu” (18 March 2004) No 1629-IV, VVR (2004) No 29.

  30. 30.

    The main objective of this law is the ‘alignment of the Ukrainian legislation with the acquis communautaire, taking into consideration criteria specified by the EU towards countries willing to join the EU’.

  31. 31.

    Ukrainian High Commercial Court judgment of 2 February 2005, No. 12/267. Also Ukrainian High Commercial Court judgment of 25 March 2005 (Closed Stock Company ‘Chumak’ v Kherson Custom Office), No. 7/299. Also Ukrainian High Commercial Court judgment of 22 February 2005 (‘Odek’ LTD v Ryvne Custom Office) No. 18/303.

  32. 32.

    Kiev District Administrative Court judgment of 25 November 2008, No. 2/416. Apparently, this judgment became a pattern for subsequent decisions of Ukrainian administrative judges, see: Kiev District Administrative Court judgment of 24 November 2008, No. 5/503. Kiev District Administrative Court judgment of 1 December 2008, No. 5/451. Kiev District Administrative Court judgment of 10 November 2008, No. 5/435.

  33. 33.

    Case 41/74 van Duyn v Home Office, EU:C:1974:133 (on free movement of workers between EU Member States and direct effect of EU Directives).

  34. 34.

    Kiev District Administrative Court judgment of 26 June 2008, No. 4/337.

  35. 35.

    Ukrainian Constitutional Court decision of 23 January 2012, Case No 1-11/2012.

  36. 36.

    For example, see Special Opinion of Constitutional Court Judge Viktor Shyshkin in Ukrainian Constitutional Court decision of 23 January 2012, Case No 1-11/2012.

  37. 37.

    Announcement of the Ukrainian High Administrative Court on 18 November 2014, No 1601/11/10/14-14.

  38. 38.

    Detailed information on the case law of the Ukrainian judiciary is available at <http://www.reyestr.court.gov.ua>. For example, analysis of decisions of the Ukrainian courts issued in 2014 and 2016 indicates a significant rise in references to the Association Agreement and various sources of the EU acquis (e.g., fundamental principles, secondary acts, case law of the CJEU).

  39. 39.

    For example, Chernigyv District Court judgment of 26 June 2016, No. 750/5197/16-a.

  40. 40.

    For example, the Kolomya City Court judgment of 07 July 2016, No. 346/3499/16-c contains a rather emotional passage ‘The Court notes that after the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union by the President of our country, and after the ratification by the supreme legislative body (the Verkhovna Rada Ukraine, author), Ukraine, as a state aspiring for full membership into the EU, must respect the private property rights of every person as a basic tenet and cornerstone of European values and inviolable foundation of the EU, which must be complied with by all Member States and by associated countries.’ (Translation by the author.)

  41. 41.

    Lviv Regional Appellate Court judgment of 06 April 2016, No. 33/783/241/16.

  42. 42.

    Kiev District Administrative Court judgment of 13 April 2016, No. 826/594/16.

  43. 43.

    Tsyrypinsk District Court judgment of 29 April 2016, No. 664/906/16-c.

  44. 44.

    Ukrainian High Administrative Court judgment of 26 April 2016, No. 800/251/16.

  45. 45.

    Ukrainian Supreme Court judgment of 17 July 2018, No. 910/14972/17.

  46. 46.

    Executive Order (Ukaz) of the President of Ukraine of 15 May 2017, No. 133/2017.

  47. 47.

    Law of Ukraine ‘Amending the Administrative Code regarding the ban on production and propaganda of the St. George (Guards’) Ribbon’ Zakon Ukrainy “Shodo Zaborony Vygotovlenya i Propagandy Georgievskoy (gvardiyskoy) Strychky” (16 May 2017) No 2031-VIII, VVR (2017) No 26.

  48. 48.

    Van Elsuwege (2017).

  49. 49.

    Case C-8/08, T-Mobile Netherlands BV and Others v Raad, ECR 2009 I-4529.

  50. 50.

    Case C-255/02, Halifax plc and Others v. Commissioners of Customs & Excise, ECR 2006 I-1609.

  51. 51.

    Art. 463(1) Association Agreement, O.J. 2014, L 161/1.

  52. 52.

    Art. 465(2) Association Agreement, O.J. 2014, L 161/1.

  53. 53.

    Within the issues related to political, territorial, human rights, participation in international unions and organizations, collective security, usage of Ukrainian territory and natural resources, military assistance and deployment of Ukrainian troops abroad (Art. 3(2) of the Ukrainian Law on International Treaties).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Roman Petrov

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  1. Faculty of Law, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany

    Stefan Lorenzmeier

  2. Faculty of Law, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Roman Petrov

  3. Faculty of Law, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany

    Christoph Vedder

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Petrov, R. (2021). Challenges of the EU-Ukraine AA’s Effective Implementation into the Legal Order of Ukraine. In: Lorenzmeier, S., Petrov, R., Vedder, C. (eds) EU External Relations Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62859-8_8

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