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Günter Verheugen: Ukraine in the EU – that is our strategic interest

Ostatnia aktualizacja: 25.07.2013 04:00
“Some political circles and some states in the EU strongly oppose the enlargement to the east. Earlier, the same circles were against the accession of Poland, Czech,” said Günter Verheugen in the interview for Polskie Radio. He stresses that the eastern countries should be given a clear promise of the EU membership. Verheugen was the EU Commissioner at the time of Poland’s accession to the EU.
Audio
  • Günter Verheugen: some political in Europe do not like eastern enlargement
  • Günter Verheugen: the future of the Ukraine is in Europe
  • Günter Verheugen; we should give to Ukraine the clear perspective for membership in the EU
Gunter Verheugen
Gunter VerheugenFoto: Piotr Drabik from Poland/wikipedia

In November the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius will decide the fate of the EU association agreement with Ukraine. “We should sign the agreement and give Ukraine a clear perspective of the EU membership”, said Günter Verheugen, the German commissioner for enlargement of the EU in 1999-2004. He led the biggest ever enlargement of the European community by 10 countries, among them there was Poland.

The former UE commissioner stressed that some political circles in Europe are reluctant to the enlargement to the east. He noted that the enlargement in the EU came to a standstill. Meanwhile, he pointed out that European countries, among them the Eastern Partnership countries, should be given a clear perspective of the EU membership.

Verheugen told that opponents of enlargement produce purely populist justifications for their point of view. He reminded that the eurozone crisis originated in the old EU countries and the new ones are just victims of it.
The commissioner hopes for a positive outcome in Ukraine, he believes that there is still “some hope”. He notes that if the case of Yulia Tymoshenko has become the main and only obstacle to the signing of the agreement, then the solution of that problem deprives the opponents of the enlargement of the ability to block the association agreement.

EU commissioner stressed that the EU has to remind Russia of its obligations in the field of human rights, as they have been being broken in the country. “
We have to ackonowledge the fact, that it is a really big question, whether president’s Putin policy is still a policy of transformation or is it already a policy of restitution,” said the commissioner.
Günter Verheugen commented also on negotiations on free-trade agreement between the United States and the European Union. “
I believe in it when I see it”, he said, noting that there is a number of significant barriers on both sides and these are non-tariff barriers..
Former EU commissioner was a guest of the Euro-Atlantic Warsaw Summer Academy in Natolin (Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy - WEAS). During his speech at the conference Verheugen stated a.o. that the EU decision on Ukraine will determine the future direction of development and enlargement of the EU. He also stated that the EU should give its partners a clear promise of the membership. He stressed that the prospect of membership should be included in the association agreement, as it is already in the EU Treaty, which states that any European state may apply for membership in the European Union. However, he recalled his experience as a commissioner – then the politicians called him with the words "just do not make them any promises", meaning making no promises on the European membership.

Gunter
Gunter Verheugen, PAP/EPA/INGO WAGNER

PolskieRadio.pl: I would like to ask about the European perspective for Ukraine. Are they any chances for association agreement in November? What are the obstacles?

Günter Verheugen: I believe that in the case of Ukraine the moment of truth is coming very close. Some European governments made it absolutely clear that the association agreement and free trade agreement will not be signed unless the former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko is not released. I can only tell the government in Kiev that it would wise to take it very seriously. Whether we like this position or not - and I do not like it – it is a matter of fact that it exists.

I personally believe that our long-term interests are very clear. Long-term interests of Ukraine are clear as well. Our long-term interests clearly tell us that we have to sign and to ratify the association agreement and the free trade agreement. Moreover, they tell us that we should invite Ukraine to make more progress in the transformation of the country towards full democracy, rule of law, respect of human rights a.o., and we should support the country in its efforts and to give the country clear perspective for membership in the EU. That is our long-term strategic interest. And I would find it very deplorable if the fact that Yulia Tymoshenko is still in prison would totally destroy the European future of such an important European country like Ukraine.

It seems that the Ukraine is not going to fulfil this condition and Yulia Tymoshenko will stay in jail (unfortunately).

Günter Verheugen: For the time being we don’t know. There is still some time. I think the best thing the European policy makers can do, it is exactly to do what I try to say: to make it very clear to the government in Kiev that the position of the some of the EU member states must be taken seriously.

On the other side there seems to be a positive element – if that is the only obstacle, it should be possible for the government in Kiev to overcome it. I could easily imagine much longer list of conditions which Ukraine would have to meet before the agreement could be signed. In my view there is still some hope.

Some hope. And how much hope?

Günter Verheugen: Well, some hope.

And if the agreement will not be signed in November? What then?

Günter Verheugen: I do not believe that it makes much sense to create hypothetical scenarios. This is a scenario that we must avoid. And in my view it is also in the interests of Ukraine to avoid it. Because I do not believe that the country has really a choice. In my view this is mere propaganda to say that we can choose between the UE and Mr Putin’s Eurasian Union. This is not the reality. In reality, the future of Ukraine is politically, economically and culturally in the European Union and not in the east.

You mentioned that the case of Yulia Tymoshenko is something like “catch 22”. Could you explain it?

Günter Verheugen: I am trying to explain it. Knowing that some the EU member states will not sign the agreement without the release of Tymoshenko, I have to tell the government in Kiev “release her”, whether they find it justified or not. Knowing that there is a risk that the government in Kiev will not release her, I must tell the governments in Europe: do not continue to put pressure on Kiev. But – it is impossible to do both. You cannot tell the government in Kiev “release her” and tell some governments in Europe do not put pressure on the Ukraine. That is what I meant by the catch 22.

So we have no way out and the summit is already in November.

Günter Verheugen: Of course there is a way out. I think what the European Union is expecting from the Ukraine is clear. And if it is delivered I do not see major obstacle. Ukraine must deliver it, it cannot help.

There are some western countries that are against the EU enlargement to the east. They just do not like the idea the Ukraine joining the UE. Why?

That is true. We have political circles in Europe that never liked the eastern enlargement. Never. They did not like the accession of Poland, the accession of Czech and absolutely did not like the accession of Romania, Bulgaria, and Chorvatia, for reasons which in my view are totally populist and politically not responsible. You have them even in governments of the European Union. This is a selfish position, lack of solidarity and the lack of historical understanding for the needs and the future of Europe.

But those people or those governments have made the mistake, concentrating the whole problem with Ukraine on one single question, the question of being Julia Tymoshenko released or not. It is the mistake. Because if Ukraine meets the condition it will be very difficult to find another reason to continue the blockade.

What are these countries and what are their reasons for being so wary?

Günter Verheugen: We should be very clear here. For the time being the enlargement policy is not very popular in the European Union. Since the couple of years the enlargement is a scapegoat for everything that went wrong, for some (right) circles in the EU. Actually, of course, the new member states have nothing to do with the crisis that we have in Europe. It did not originate there neither economically nor politically. It originated in some old member states. And the new member states are clearly victims, not those who created.

So there is no rational reason for the denial. By the way, they are not claiming this is rational. They are just telling people what people want to hear. It is populism and nothing else.

What are the countries: Germany, France, Austria…

I would not mention countries here. You have those political groups everywhere in the EU. In some countries they are stronger, in some countries less.

You have not mention Belarus in your lecture. It is our neighbour as well.

Günter Verheugen: I have not mentioned Belarus, I have not mentioned Russia, because I was running short of time. It was foreseen to say something. In the case of Belarus I think we should rethink our strategy, that the isolation of the country does not really help. I do not see progress as a result of our policy so we should rethink it and review it, perhaps to find the better one. I must say I am absolutely unhappy with the situation in Belarus, but nevertheless it is European country and we have to care.

You told that we will loose such an important strategic partner when we will loose Ukraine and perhaps the same applies to Belarus.

Günter Verheugen: I think there is a difference between the Ukraine and Belarus. Strategically and economically, because Ukraine is much more important. In the case of Ukraine the process of “adhesion” is already running. In the case of Belarus we have no starting point. It depends on the country, i.e. on Belarus, whether it wants to go in the direction of the European integration or not. So far it is not visible.

And Russia – Russia is becoming more and more authoritarian country. Perhaps Europe could think about Magnitsky Law like in the US.

Günter Verheugen: In the case of Russia we have special relationship. Russia is not covered by the neighobourhood policy, definitely not covered by the enlargement policy because Russia has no intention to join. And we have so called strategic partnership with Russia. That is OK, because it is an important country, economically and we need Russia due to very important energy resources the country has. But on the other side, we have to ackonowledge the fact, that it is a really big question, where president’s Putin policy is still a policy of transformation or is it already a policy of restitution. I can only say that those are wrong who claim that democracy and Russian society are not compatible. They are clearly compatible, in the same way as they are in Poland, in Germany. And we should tell our Russian friend very clearly that they have signed the European Convention for Human Rights, they have signed the United Nations Human Rights Charter and we expect them to respect it.

You told about historical injustice in case of Ukraine, Belarus. It also concerns Russian people. How could we help those nations to obtain better future, at least to have the real possibility of choice?

Günter Verheugen: People always have right to get the better future. But in the EU we cannot act on behalf of people of Russia, in Ukraine, in Belarus. This is the responsibility of the civil society in those countries to create the conditions for the future which people rightly want. What we can do is to encourage them and support them, but we cannot do it in place of them.

Last question about the EU-US free trade agreement. What would be its consequences?

Günter Verheugen: If it can be concluded, it will be a major step and it will create additional gross on both sides of the Atlantic, certainly additional jobs. But I have to warn people who are already telling that it will be done before 2016. It will be extremely difficult. And because the regulatory environment in the US is totally different from ours. It is not a question of tariffs, it is a question of non-tariff barriers and these barriers are actually extremely high. There is a lot of protectionism on both sides, there are many vested interests on both sides. It is a mistake to believe that the American political system is very simple. It is very complicated, not less than ours. We must also understand that in the free-trade agreement you will have winners and loosers. And one of the possible loosers of the free-trade agreement would be the European industry. Because the American industry due to the very cheap energy prices in the US can produce at very low cost and it has very big competitive advantage. There are many problems. I haven’t mentioned agriculture, and GMO, it is a long agenda. I believe in it when I see it.

Some say that it should something like second NATO and we should struggle for it?

Günter Verheugen: That is nonsense.

That would not be situation winner-winner?

Günter Verheugen: That is nonsense. It is less or more than the full expectation of the economic potential that we have in the trade (...) if we create such a transatlantic market place. We should not give it the importance that it does not have. It is (done) for economic sake. But it is very important for both sides. It will strengthen our links, it will makes us more competitive in the world of tomorrow. It is also a signal for the competitors from the other parts of the world.

 

(Agnieszka Kamińska, PolskieRadio.pl)

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