EU-UKRAINE CIVIL SOCIETY PLATFORM

The EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform is the joint civil society institution established under Articles 469-470 of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The Platform, together with the Association Council, the Association Committee and the Parliamentary Association Committee, is one of the official institutions established in the framework of the Association Agreement. The CSP is a Forum which consists of members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on the one hand, and representatives of Ukrainian civil society on the other and is designed to ensure dialogue and the exchange of ideas. The Civil Society Platform’s design is not determined by the Association Agreement, rather it is expected that the CSP will establish its own rules of procedure.

The CSP is created to facilitate and support the implementation of the Association Agreement (AA) by monitoring, analysing and providing consultation to bilateral intergovernmental (the Association Council) and inter-parliamentary (Parliamentary Association Committee) bodies.

The Platform, composed of representatives of NGOs, employers’ associations and trade-unions both from Ukraine and the EU, is charged with the task of ensuring the civil society oversight of, and contribution to, the Association Agreement implementation. The Platform will meet twice a year, alternately in Brussels and Ukraine, and will exchange views and prepare reports on the topics of crucial importance for civil society under the implementation process. It will forward its recommendations to the EU-Ukraine Association Council and other relevant bodies in Ukraine and the EU and communicate them to wider society.

The Platform will meet for the second time at the end of 2015, presenting its review of the Association Agreement implementation, and two thematic reports: first, on the energy sector, second, on the rule of law and anti-corruption policy as the chosen priority topic of interest both for Ukraine and the EU. Specific attention will be paid to the issues of improvement of investment climate as well as the social component of ongoing transformation.

During the coming months it will also work on the establishment of effective cooperation and communication mechanisms with other stakeholders of the implementation process. These activities will be brought further by the ongoing operation of the 15 thematic working groups of the Ukrainian side of the Platform.

1. EU-Ukraine political dialogue, foreign and security policy
2. Democratic reforms, rule of law
3. Human rights, gender equality and non-discrimination
4. Fighting corruption and fraud, state finance, public procurement, competition policy (including state aid)
5. Migration policy (including asylum policy), labour migration, visa policy
6. Non-tariff measures, protective measures, customs clearance (including rules to establish the country of origin of goods)
7. Tariff measures, transitional periods, exclusions, trade regime with third countries
8. Technical regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, geographical indications, product safety
9. Trade in services (including protection of consumers), movement of capital, establishment and maintenance of enterprises
10. Industrial, scientific and technical cooperation, copyright protection, information society
11. Environment
12. Energy and transportation
13. Employment, labour rights, safe and healthy work environment, social policy
14. Education and training, youth
15. Cross-border and interregional cooperation