e+Application+to+the+EU



**What are the pros and cons of having the Ukraine in the European Union? **  The Ukraine is currently a “priority partner country” in the ENP (European Neighbourhood Policy); they are in agreement with the PCA (Partnership and Co-operation Agreement), which means that the Ukraine will cooperate with EU reforms. The EU continues to meet with the Ukraine and draw up new documents that deepen political and economical ties between the two (the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda and perhaps even the DCFTA (Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area), for example). Ukrainian leaders have stated that they would eventually like to be full EU members, and have even pressed the EU to let them know what the prospect of that happening is.

>> >> ** CONS: **
 * PROS: **
 * 1) The Ukraine is already trading goods with the EU, and could bring valuable resources to the table.
 * 2) The Ukraine is currently importing and exporting goods from to EU members. To put it simply, EU membership would make this process easier.
 * 3) Being an EU member could push the Ukraine to improve their democracy and crack down on corruption.
 * 4) Becoming an EU member could improve the Ukraine's economy.
 * 5) Ukrainians feel it is necessary for their country to be an EU member.
 * 6) According to the Oleksandr Razumkov Centre for Economic and Political Studies, 44.7% of Ukrainians feel that it is necessary for the Ukraine to be an EU member.
 * 1) Ukraine has a low level of economic development.
 * 2) 35% of Ukrainians live below the poverty line, and the country has struggled to develop.
 * 3) There is rampant corruption in the Ukrainian political system.
 * 4) The Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine states that, “the anti-corruption strategy in Ukraine is still in a reactive mode. That is to say to combat the consequences of corruption by investigating what had happened but not eradicating the problems at their roots.”
 * 5) The democratic process in the Ukraine is not as legitimate as in EU countries.
 * 6) The difference in culture (language, history, geographical) between the Ukraine & the EU is too great.
 * 7) The language spoken in the Ukraine is very different from most European languages and they have a troubled history with Russia (not to mention a border).
 * 8) The process would be long.
 * 9) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">On the website for the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine they state that, “negotiations and ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement will take some more years before the full Agreement can enter into force;” this is not even an application to join the EU, that would take even longer (some estimate between ten and twenty years from now the Ukraine could be a full member).

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Bibliography **


 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">“Nearly 45 percent of Ukrainians say European Union membership essential.” Kyiv Post. 29 December 2008. 16 April 2010. <http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/32462/>.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">“Overview of political relations.” Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.” 16 April 2010. <http://ec.europa.eu/delegations/ukraine/eu_ukraine/political_relations/index_en.htm>.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Shynalskyi, Oleksandr. “Combating Corruption in Ukraine.” 16 April 2010. <http://www.icac.org.hk/newsl/issue32eng/button5.htm>.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">“Ukraine.” The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 16 April 2010. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/up.html>.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">“Ukraine.” European Commission. 16 April 2010. [].

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