Influence of the free trade area with the EU on the economy of Ukrainian regions: Discussion continues
On December 20, 2013 in Kyiv, the Polissya Fund of International and Regional Research conducted a final press conference of the project “The Free Trade Area with the EU: Awaiting Regions On the eve of the signing of the Association Agreement, which was implemented by the Polissya Fund (Chernihiv) in cooperation with the Institute for Economic Research and Political Consultations (Kyiv), the second working group of the Ukrainian National Platform of Eastern Partnership and the Association of Regional Analytical Centers with the support of the International Foundation.
According to the words Gennady Maxaka, President of the Polissya Fund, the project was aimed at deploying a broad discussion at the regional level on the challenges and advantages of creating an in -depth and comprehensive free trade area between Ukraine and the EU (PVZVT) before the signing of the Association Agreement. The peculiarity of the project was the involvement in the exchange of views of experts from regional business environment, local consumers, representatives of government agencies, politicians, public activists, scientists. That is, in an impartial, pragmatic discussion of the consequences and risks of PVZVT, representatives of local communities were widely involved.
“The preparation and implementation of the project took place against the backdrop of positive expectations on the results of Vilnius Summit. But despite the non-signing of the Association Agreement, we have not only lost their relevance, but can also be used to substantiate the need to further deepen economic integration with the European Union Member States, ”he said,” he said Gennady Maxak.
“The conduct of discussion” round tables “in 14 regions showed that on the eve of Vilnius Summit in regional expert circles, the opinion about the economic feasibility of further deepening economic cooperation with the European Union prevailed,” – said Yevgeny Romanenko, Vice President of the Polissya Fund. During the discussions in different regions, experts came to joint conclusions that the greatest benefit from the creation of PVZVT will have consumers and big business. Among the direct advantages, the simplification of access of domestic producers to European markets, an increase in exports to EU countries was most commonly mentioned. Regional experts noted that improving the investment climate will be the result of the implementation of transparent “game rules” and implementation of institutional reforms at the nationwide level. Meanwhile, PVZVT carries for regional economies and a number of challenges, the most anticipated of which are the need to modernize existing enterprises and the implementation of European standards of quality of goods and services.
Expert of the Institute for Economic Research and Political Consultations Victor Green, which, as an invited expert, participated in “round tables”, expressed disappointment that the Association Agreement was not signed at a summit in Vilnius.
“In the vast majority of public expectations in the regions regarding the planned signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU were the most positive. Most experts, business representatives and civil servants understood that the signing of the Association Agreement in itself would not solve existing economic problems, but it will be more important to work, but it will be more like Transparency, creation of equal conditions for all participants in the market, reduction of monopolization in individual sectors of the economy, etc. signing the Association Agreement and Formation of PVZVT, as well as most of the regional communities of Ukraine. Based on a sample from 14 regions, we can conclude that the most widely supported of the signing of the Association Agreement to the population of Ukraine – we would like this fact that the current leaders of the state would be wisely taken into account, ” – said Victor Green.
Director of the Institute for Economic Research and Political Consultations Igor Burakovsky He summed up the speeches of other participants, noting the importance and usefulness of public discussions of topical economic issues facing the state.
“The question of signing or not writing an association with the EU belongs to those that determine the architecture of the economic policy of the state in the long run. The importance of this issue should force persons who depend on the making of important decisions, to take into account the economic component and distinguish between excessive voluntary. Vilnius was not there. Igor Burakovsky.
The project showed that at the regional level there is an urgent need for further objective and impartial discussion of the economic component of deepening cooperation with the EU on the basis of quantitative analysis of the consequences of the creation of PVZVT. At the same time, there is a request for analytics and recommendations in the context of the economy of individual areas, which is primarily due to the specificity of regional problems. The requesters of such information are both local authorities and business, public, scientists. The absence of quantitative assessments of the effects and challenges of PVZWT for individual regions inhibits the formation of a public request for a vector of further integration policy of Ukraine, facilitates the politicization of the process of signing the Association Agreement.