On July 10, an online meeting of the Bureau of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC) was held. It was co-chaired by Pekka Toveri, Co-Chair of the PAC from the European Parliament, and Vadym Halaichuk, Co-Chair of the PAC from the Ukrainian side.
Pekka Toveri, on behalf of the European side of the PAC, expressed strong support for Ukraine in the face of massive russian attacks. He assured that European parliamentarians would continue to support Ukraine with even greater determination.
Vadym Halaichuk, the Ukrainian Co-Chair of the PAC, emphasized that despite the heavy shelling, the Verkhovna Rada continues to work and fulfill its duties in full.
"Thank you for your unwavering support for Ukraine. Of course, the situation over the past weeks and months has been extremely difficult due to russia’s relentless attacks. These assaults have become worse and more intense, involving hundreds of missiles, drones, and other deadly weapons each night. That is why strengthening air defense is one of our key priorities today," Vadym Halaichuk noted.
He welcomed the election of the new members of the PAC Bureau from the European side and expressed hope that, now fully formed, the body would be able to resume its regular operations and return to the issues that had been previously postponed. Among these is the reform of the working procedures of the Parliamentary Association Committee in light of the newly established Subcommittee on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
“So that we can jointly plan its activities and determine our focus areas. More broadly, the accession process and institutional reforms within the EU necessary for enlargement as a whole are certainly central to the work of our Committee and this Bureau,” said Vadym Halaichuk.
Pekka Toveri, for his part, noted that the PAC Bureau should adapt its work in view of Ukraine’s current status as a candidate country for EU membership, which requires closer coordination. He also suggested exploring the use of online and hybrid formats for cooperation.
First Deputy Co-Chair of the Ukrainian side of the PAC, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, also welcomed the formation of the Bureau from the European side. She expressed hope that it would enable faster and more effective responses to challenges within this interparliamentary framework. She drew attention to the intensified russian attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks and called on members of the PAC Bureau to appeal to the EU with an urgent request to accelerate the provision of weapons to Ukraine.
“This includes both air defense systems and the necessary arms for our defenders on the frontline,” emphasized Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
She expressed gratitude for the opportunity for Ukrainian deputies to present their proposals regarding reforms within the EU, especially in light of the European Union’s enlargement.
“For us, it is important that the next wave of EU enlargement is reflected in the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework. It is essential that financial instruments for enlargement are included in the next framework. I hope that European parliamentarians will be able to defend this idea,” said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
She also expressed hope that the EU will find a way to review its decision-making process.
“I hope that the procedure for decisions on matters such as the opening of membership negotiations with the EU can be changed from unanimity to qualified majority voting,” said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
She emphasized that internal reforms within the EU should proceed in parallel with enlargement so that candidate countries already moving toward EU membership do not become hostages to unfinished reforms within the Union.
The parties also discussed communication about European integration both in Ukraine and in the European Union. The Ukrainian side believes it is important to emphasize that in many areas and issues, Ukraine will bring solutions rather than problems to the EU. Ukraine has vast experience in security, countering propaganda, and other fields. At the same time, there are areas where the EU primarily needs to carry out internal reforms, as required by the integration of new members.
The Ukrainian side also drew European colleagues’ attention to the pace at which russia is increasing its military production. Ivanna Sovsun, Deputy Co-Chair of the Ukrainian side of the PAC, noted that next year, russia’s drone production will reach such scale that it could deploy about a thousand drones per day in attacks. According to Ivanna Sovsun, the EU and Ukraine should work together to increase military production both within Ukraine and within the European Union itself.