Written declaration No. 554 | Doc. 13314 | 11 February 2014

The Ukrainian Parliament should finalise the creation of preconditions for signing the Association Agreement with the European Union

Signatories: Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Joe BENTON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Eka BESELIA, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Brian BINLEY, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Márton BRAUN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Ahmet Berat ÇONKAR, Turkey, EDG ; Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Şaban DİŞLİ, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Mr Jim DOBBIN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Sir Jeffrey DONALDSON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Tülin ERKAL KARA, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Jonathan EVANS, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Cătălin Daniel FENECHIU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Gvozden Srećko FLEGO, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Daniel FLOREA, Romania, SOC ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Cheryl GILLAN, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Alina Ștefania GORGHIU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Mehmet Kasım GÜLPINAR, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Mike HANCOCK, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Ms Arpine HOVHANNISYAN, Armenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Vahe HOVHANNISYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Mr Florin IORDACHE, Romania, SOC ; Mr Gediminas JAKAVONIS, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Stella JANTUAN, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Mr Ferenc KALMÁR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Attila KORODI, Romania, EPP/CD ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Orinta LEIPUTĖ, Lithuania ; Mr Ian LIDDELL-GRAINGER, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Guguli MAGRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Nursuna MEMECAN, Turkey ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Aleksandrs SAKOVSKIS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Mr Yanaki STOILOV, Bulgaria, SOC ; Mr Ionuț-Marian STROE, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Ahmet Kutalmiş TÜRKEŞ, Turkey, ALDE ; Dame Angela WATKINSON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Ms Naira ZOHRABYAN, Armenia, ALDE

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We welcome the continuing efforts of the Ukrainian authorities towards the implementation of reforms undertaken to meet its obligations and commitments within the membership of the Council of Europe and the creation of preconditions for the signing the Association Agreement with the European Union.

We were pleased to note that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted by a Constitutional majority a number of decisions on this way. We should also mention the progress in the reform of the Prosecutor’s Office and the execution of court decisions.

Particularly, we consider as a positive sign that the draft Law of Ukraine “On amending the Constitution of Ukraine on Strengthening the Independence of Judges”, which had received a positive opinion of the Venice Commission, was successfully included in the agenda of the Verkhovna Rada and submitted for the consideration of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. The fast adoption of the current version of this draft law jointly by all political parties represented in the Ukrainian Parliament will serve as a key value for a comprehensive Constitutional reform that has been repeatedly recommended by our Assembly.

Reaffirming our full support for the signature of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union in November 2013, we would like to urge all the Ukrainian authorities, political forces and the civil society to make maximum efforts to bring Ukraine closer to the European Union.