Ukraine needs to pass five bills to get an EU tranche / Photo from UNIAN
Ukraine will receive the second tranche of macro-financial assistance from the European Union totaling EUR 600 million in the first quarter of this year if the lawmakers adopt five key bills, the Government’s press service has told UNIAN.
The Cabinet stresses the need to complete introduction of a new model of gas market and pass the appropriate government-proposed bills:
- "On amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine on providing conditions for the functioning of the natural gas market” (No.3325);
- "On amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine concerning the creation of preconditions for a new model of the natural gas market” (No.3074).
It is also needed to adopt a government bill that would enhance the independence of the electricity market regulator "On the National Commission, which performs state regulation in the field of energy and utility services” (No.2966), as well as a bill aimed at the development of competition "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Protection of Economic Competition" (with respect to increasing the effectiveness of control over economic concentrations)" (No.2168a) the Cabinet says.
Moreover, the report reads that the draft law proposed by the government “On the service in local government agencies” (No.2489) must be adopted within the framework of the implementation of public administration reform.
Read alsoUkraine seeks EUR 400 mln EIB loanThe Government emphasized that of all of these bills, only three were adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in the first reading (the changes to the Customs Code, the draft law on protection of economic competition and on the service in local government agencies).
At the same time, an important criterion for macro-financial assistance the EU is Ukraine's adherence to international and bilateral trade obligations, in particular the prevention of the introduction of new measures that restrict or distort trade. It is, in particular the abolition of the temporary ban of exports of forest products in raw form, as contrary to WTO requirements (it is the rules of the law number 325-VIII), said in the Cabinet.
"The memorandum providing for the EU’s macro-financial assistance for Ukraine, includes a number of binding measures to accelerate our internal reforms, and this is a very important aspect, which stimulates the process of European integration. It is also extraordinarily important to abandon trade restrictions that are contrary to Ukraine’s obligations (in particular as regards the WTO and DCFTA with the EU). Moreover, [we] should continue to refrain from any attempts to introduce such restrictions, because our country has signed the relevant international agreements and should fulfill them on a regular basis, "- said Deputy Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Director of the Government Office for European Integration Natalia Hnydiuk.
Read alsoKyiv, Brussels sign memorandum on granting EUR 1.8 billion in aid to UkraineOn May 22, 2015, Ukraine and the EU signed a Memorandum on macro-financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of EUR 1.8 billion, which was supposed to be disbursed in three tranches. The first tranche was received in 2015.