The delegation of the Chairmen of the Committees of the European Parliament headed by the Chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairmen Bernd Lange and the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament David McAllister paid a two-day visit to Kyiv.
The MEPs held a number of important meetings in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, including with representatives of factions and committees of the Parliament, where they discussed a range of issues important for Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor and its progress on the European and Euro-Atlantic path.
The Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, Dmytro Natalukha, focused on the issue of attracting investment into the country's economy, in particular, in the development of the agricultural sector.
“We need to resume cooperation with the EU on promising investments. Since agriculture in Ukraine has been one of the most attractive elements of our relations, we need to think about processing agricultural products, creating agricultural or public-private partnerships in Ukraine that will produce anything that can be produced from Ukrainian raw materials,” said Dmytro Natalukha, adding that this would have a significant impact on Ukrainian and European markets, their prices and would have a positive effect on the Global South, Africa, etc.
For his part, Oleh Bondarenko, the Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, stressed the importance of bringing the quality of agricultural products and other products in line with the environmental requirements of the European Union, as well as the fulfilment of Ukraine's relevant tasks as a party to the Paris Agreement in terms of climate change prevention. The Chairman of the Committee also emphasised the cooperation of the Verkhovna Rada committees with the non-governmental sector and non-governmental organisations of the European Union:
“It is through cooperation with non-governmental organisations that we receive independent expertise on draft laws, vivid and important opinions on whether all draft laws comply with European legislation. And we use and take into account these opinions in almost 100% of cases. This is extremely important for us.”
The Chairman of the Committee on National Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance Mykhailo Radutskyi thanked his European colleagues for the recent fruitful meeting of the relevant committees of the two parliaments and for the European Commission's high positive assessment of the fact that Ukraine has already completed 88% of the tasks necessary to adapt Ukrainian legislation to the European one.
“I would like to emphasise that we need your support in updating the foundations of Ukraine's healthcare legislation. This is a very important document, we call it the medical constitution. We have two important laws planned for this year, where we hope to work together in the legislative field with the European Parliament and the relevant committee. These are the Code on the Health of Ukrainian Citizens and the Law of Ukraine on Biological, Chemical and Bacteriological Safety,” said Radutskyi.
Oleksandr Kopylenko, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, continued the topic of security. As the Head of the National Commission on Radiation Protection of the Population of Ukraine, he stressed the threats to Ukraine from the use of not only nuclear but also chemical and bacteriological weapons by the aggressor country.
“In my opinion, Europe does not realise the scale of the danger posed by russian nuclear terrorism and the reality of this threat not only for Europe but for the whole world. At least the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is enough to destroy half the world. Therefore, I urge you to draw your attention and that of your colleagues to this,” Oleksandr Kopylenko addressed the European parliamentarians.
Mariia Mezentseva, the Deputy Chair of the Committee, Chair of the Subcommittee on Ukraine's Integration into the European Union, also focused on the issue of adapting Ukrainian legislation to the European one, implementing the necessary directives and commitments, and the Parliament's implementation of the necessary steps to start negotiations on EU accession. She also emphasised cooperation with regional representatives and communities in the light of European integration: “Everything we are doing today is related to our most successful reform, the decentralisation reform, and the way the communities of regions and cities view European integration. We have already implemented a roadmap to make it easier for communities to go through the process of joining the EU. We are also implementing cooperation programmes and more.”
For their part, the MEPs reiterated that they would stand by Ukraine as long as necessary. And this course will not change after the upcoming European Parliament elections, in particular, work will continue on starting negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
“The European Parliament is confident that negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU should start without delay, given that all the latest recommendations have been implemented. We are convinced that this will help Ukraine anchor itself on the path to membership. And in this process, we need a strong parliamentary dimension, as we will continue all the initiatives we have launched to ensure fruitful cooperation,” said David McAllister, the Co-Chair of the delegation, Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, in his opening remarks.
He was supported by Bernd Lange, the Co-Chair of the delegation, Chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairmen and Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade. He noted that the dialogue between the two parliaments is constructive and should continue, in particular, in terms of supporting Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor.
“We must continue this dialogue and there is no doubt that we are on your side. This is the position expressed by all parties within the European Parliament. We have no doubt that Ukraine is a European country that belongs to the European family,” Bernd Lange said.
The meeting also focused on the creation of competent structures in the Parliament to implement European legislation and improve its capacity to screen, examine and review it, involve stakeholders, trade unions and representatives of society in this process, and the challenges of Ukraine's future recovery and reconstruction, including its structuring and proper coordination of all stages.
At the end of the meeting, the participants noted that it was a very fruitful exchange of views and information. The MEPs assured their Ukrainian counterparts of solidarity and continued support from the EU, as well as from the citizens of the European Union and the European Parliament, because “only together and united can we withstand”.