The Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU heard a report on the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU in the field of telecommunications, postal and courier services

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The Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU heard a report on the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU in the field of telecommunications, postal and courier services

Information Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
Published on 09 April 2021, at 15:03

The Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU heard reports from representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the National Commission for State Regulation of Communications and Informatization, and the EU-UNDP Parliamentary Reform Project.

Representatives of these institutions provided information on how Ukraine is fulfilling its obligations under the Association Agreement in the field of telecommunications, postal and courier services. As noted during the meeting, cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in this area should help Ukraine integrate into the internal market of such services in the EU. However, in order to achieve this, according to the Association Agreement, Ukraine must first bring its legislation in the field of telecommunications, postal and courier services in line with European Union law. If this is successfully implemented, Ukraine will be able to obtain the reciprocal "internal market regime" for postal services.

The market of postal services is important, because given the favorable geographical location, Ukraine can get a promising market for transit postal logistics for the European Union.

Integration into the European market of postal services means not only the access of Ukrainian companies to the EU market, but also freer access of European companies to the domestic market of Ukraine, therefore, increasing competition in it for Ukrainian companies.

At the request of the EU Integration Committee, the EU-UNDP Parliamentary Reform Project analyzed Ukraine's fulfillment of its obligations under the Agreement in the field of telecommunications, postal and courier services. According to this analysis, Ukraine has so far implemented only three European Union directives in its legislation in this area. One of these directives has already been repealed in the EU. 8 more acts of EU law need to be implemented. To this end, the following draft laws have been registered in the Verkhovna Rada:

- No. 4066 "On the National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Electronic Communications, Radio Frequency Spectrum and Provision of Postal Services of Ukraine";

- No. 4353 "On postal services";

- No. 4354 "On Amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses to Strengthen Liability in the Field of Postal Services".

The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine is convinced that the draft law No. 4066, which is being considered by the Verkhovna Rada, should be adopted as soon as possible. Its adoption will bring Ukraine’s legislation in the areas of electronic communications, radio frequency spectrum and the provision of postal services closer to the European one and will create a legal framework for important changes in this areas.