Günter Verheugen critisises Germany’s and some other’s EU countries for raising conditions linked to judicial and democratic reforms in order to sign association agreement with Ukraine.
“The former Commission vice president appeared to downplay the significance of the pact, stressing that Ukraine was only preparing to sign an association agreement, not an accession treaty, with the EU. The association agreement offers closer political and economic cooperation, but stops short of offering a path towards EU accession,” writes EurActive.
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Stressing on the fact that Ukraine is to sign an association agreement, not a membership treaty, Verheugen said: “I am afraid that we are using double-standards here. Our long-term interest is to organise step-by-step the integration of Ukraine into our structures. If the association agreement enters into force, it will mean that Ukraine has made an irreversible choice and will no longer be in a limbo between the EU and President Putin’s Eurasian Union,” Verheugen said.
