Oleksandr Korniienko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, took part in the conference «Ukraine's EU membership: Not If, But When», held in Kyiv as part of the launch of the Ukraine2EU programme, a new instrument to support Ukraine's European integration, launched by the European Union together with Denmark, Lithuania and Sweden.
In his speech, Oleksandr Korniienko emphasised that the choice in favour of EU membership was made by the Ukrainian people long ago and today the country is closer to full accession than ever before. «Joining the European Union is a choice of the entire Ukrainian people that has been made long ago and loudly voiced,» he said.
He added that over the past three years, Ukraine has been actively fulfilling all the tasks set for the opening of the negotiation process. «And we succeeded - thanks to all the people and the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,» he noted. Oleksandr Korniienko recognised the remaining challenges and the occurrence of new ones, but added: «We are ready and able to respond to them. In particular, the adaptation of national legislation to the European one will require a lot of work.»
The First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada pointed out that Ukraine faces a large-scale task of adopting from 500 to 700 legislative acts in a short time. «The exact number is yet unknown, but between 500 and 700 laws must be passed within a relatively short timeframe. If we want to be ready by 2029, then everything needs to be done by 2029, and it's already early 2025. These laws must be developed, written, and agreed,» he said, adding that they must be adapted to European legislation and communicated with society and the expert community.
Oleksandr Korniienko underlined the importance of communication with citizens about the content and consequences of European integration. «In addition, we have a task to conduct communication work with the society on the status of EU membership. It is not only about new opportunities, but also about responsibilities and how regulation in various areas will change,» he stressed.
The First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament also drew attention to the fact that European experience envisages the possibility of postponing the implementation of certain reforms. As he noted, it was the postponement of certain regulations that allowed Poland to successfully complete its path to EU membership. Ukraine can also count on the EU's flexibility during the period of war and recovery.
Oleksandr Korniienko paid particular attention to regional development. He emphasised that one of the key challenges is the ability of communities to effectively use European resources. «European funds are not merely about conferences or roundtables. In fact, it is a water supply system in the community, a road, a circular bus route, school buses, lighting, job creation, business support,» he added.
The Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada also thanked international partners for their support, in particular Sweden, Lithuania, Denmark and Estonia, which assist communities to prepare them to work with European funding instruments.
«Thanks to our unity, we will successfully navigate all stages of European integration and reach our goal!!» Oleksandr Korniienko concluded.