KYIV. July 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) – When the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between Ukraine and the European Union comes into effect Ukrainian companies will have to prove the compliance of their products with European standards, Director of the Government’s Office for European Integration of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers Natalia Hnydiuk has said.
“On January 1, 2016 we would not have all four freedoms linked to the free trade area opened. We would have an opportunity of the use, but we should prove this possibility and prove in steps that [Ukrainian companies]… can supply goods and services to the European Union market,” she told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday.
She said that the DCFTA will take effect on January 1, 2016, however a lot depends on how effectively Ukraine introduces EU standards, as an open market for European goods and services will quickly start working in the country.
“We have the quota for six groups of goods, but Ukraine does not supply all the goods under other groups’ quotas, and the increase of quotas is the issue to be discussed by the EU,” she said.
Hnydiuk said that in 2015, programs aimed at supporting small and medium businesses, regional development, and the development of media will be realized in Ukraine.
“When we speak about top-priority areas [for Ukraine], we speak about those areas where we can be very concrete… [particularly] state procurement, agriculture, postal services, transportation – we should strongly develop these areas,” she said.
She added that as part of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU a meeting of the Sub-Committee on Energy, Transport and Environment will be held in October.
On July 12-16, the first meeting of the Ukraine-EU Association Committee took place in Brussels (Belgium).
