European and Euro-Atlantic Integration

European integration of Ukraine is the process of alignment of Ukraine and the European Union at the level of laws, rules and customs established in the society. The purpose of Ukraine is to join the EU.

European integration is a key permanent priority of Ukraine’s foreign policy. The principal strategic document for this purpose is the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Ukraine’s course is focused on stability and development of the State in accordance with the European standards.

European and Euro-Atlantic Integration is the choice made by the Ukrainians, which was confirmed during the Revolution of Dignity and established in the Constitution of Ukraine.

Introduction of the European standards into the Ukrainian legislation facilitates creation of the stable economy, development of the rule-of-law state, improvement of the environmental situation, protection of social rights of citizens and overall enhancement of living standards.

The purpose of Ukraine is to join the single economic, social and humanitarian environment with no barriers to movement of goods, people, services and capitals. It also provides for unlimited exchange of information, cultural and scientific achievements

Implementation of the Association Agreement with the European Union

The Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine works actively to implement the reforms and introduce the European standards that raise the quality of life of the Ukrainians. The main step in this direction is implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which sets the principal tasks to align Ukraine with the European rules and standards.

The Agreement is implemented based on the Action Plan approved by the Government. In pursuance of Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the plan was amended in 2019 to adapt the actions to the relevant needs and challenges. As a part of this plan, the MSP works to raise standards for social protection, equal rights, protection of employees’ rights and in other fields with a direct impact upon well-being of the Ukrainians.

This progress is an important stage on the path to the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, which enhances connections with the EU and improves social conditions in the country.

Path to the status of a candidate

In 2024, after the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine signed the Association Agreement with the European Union: it was the key strategic document that prescribed the core principles of relations between Ukraine and the EU. The relations between the parties developed within the framework of the political association and economic integration since then until the full-scale invasion by Russia on 24 February 2022. Partial application of the Agreement started in 2024, and it entered into full force on 1 September 2017.

Support of the European integration was gradually deepened among the Ukrainian citizens, which was reflected in the Constitution of Ukraine. In February 2019, the Constitution was amended to establish the European course of Ukraine as a national strategic direction. Since 2014 until the beginning of 2022, Ukraine fulfilled the Association Agreement by 63% and carried out major European integration changes in many areas of social and economic life.

After the escalation of the war, on 28 February 2022, Ukraine filed an application for the EU membership, which was an important step to preserve the European integration achievements. It was confirmed by the EU leaders at the informal summit at Versailles in March 2022 that Ukraine belonged to the European family.

On 17 June 2022, the European Commission recommended to grant Ukraine the candidate’s status provided that seven key recommendations were followed. A week later, on 23 June 2022, the European Council made the historical decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for the EU membership and started the new stage of the European integration for our country.

Read more about the candidate’s status granted to Ukraine

Ukraine’s Preparation to Join the EU in the Social Field

The social policy in the context of the European integration is aimed at ensuring civil rights and freedoms, improving social standards, and integrating into the European social programmes. It provides for alignment of the Ukrainian legislation with the European standards, namely the ones for social protection.

The European integration process helps improve the quality of social services and generally improves the social protection mechanisms, which reduces public vulnerability and ensures more support for low-income citizens.

The European integration opens up new opportunities for cooperation with the international organizations that may offer expertise, resources and support for social reforms.

Also, introduction of the European standards for management of the social policy helps improve transparency, accountability and efficiency in the public authorities.

The European integration process is focused on rights of all the citizens, including vulnerable groups, which helps create a more inclusive society.

After the status of the candidate for the EU membership was obtained on 23 June 2022, all the governmental branches in Ukraine started to actively prepare the country for accession to the European Union despite the challenges caused by the ongoing military aggression of Russia.

On the one hand, Ukraine keeps performing its European integration tasks planned before the candidate’s status was granted. It includes alignment of the national legislation with the EU acquis in accordance with the Association Agreement, maintenance of trade relations and sectoral integration into the EU internal market as well as well as participation in the EU key programmes.

On the other hand, the candidate’s status gave Ukraine new large-scale tasks. One of the most important mid-term tasks is Ukraine’s conformity to the EU accession criteria, such as:

• the Copenhagen criteria (1993), which require stable operations of public institutions that guarantee democracy, rule of law, human rights and protection of national minorities.

• the Madrid criteria (1995), which provide for operation of the market economy capable of competing at the EU market.

• the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000 as amended by the Lisbon Treaty of 2007), which requires the ability to fulfil the obligations arising out of the EU membership as well as full implementation of the relevant EU acquis.

In order to support the process, the European Commission has established the special unit in the Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) responsible for interaction with Ukraine. It also has the Secretariat of the Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine, which is focused on short-term recovery in war time and mid-term post-war recovery.

Скринінг законодавства — важливий крок до членства

An important step on Ukraine’s path to the EU membership is screening, the official procedure during which the European Commission and the candidate for the EU membership analyse conformity of the national legislation of the candidate to the relevant EU acquis.

The screening covers 35 negotiation titles grouped into six themed clusters based on the updated EU enlargement methodology of 2020.

The screening results set priorities for key reforms (benchmarks) for each cluster. The EU Council will use the report by the European Commission to decide on starting negotiation on the corresponding cluster. Screening is the first step in negotiation on the EU membership.

The bilateral meetings held as a part of the screening are an important source of information for the European Commission on Ukraine’s readiness for the EU membership and enable assessing the level of conformity of the Ukrainian legislation to the European standards.