The European Integration Index for Eastern Partnership Countries will track the progress of Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine—on an annual basis. It provides a nuanced cross-country and cross-sector picture that is comparative.The Index is a monitoring tool that is also intended to assist EU institutions in applying the ‘more for more’/‘less for less’ principle, announced by the EU in May 2011. Although the EU and independent civil society initiatives provide numerous regular assessments of the progress of EaP countries in European integration, few of these assessments have attempted to place the countries in a comparative perspective. This is what the Index primarily attempts to do.The Index was developed by independent civil society experts who advocate reforms related to European integration. It is prepared by the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) in partnership with the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and experts from think-tanks and university institutions in EaP countries and the EU. The project is funded by the IRF’s European Programme and the EastEast: Partnership Beyond Borders Programme of the OSF.

This is a pilot edition of the European Integration Index, so we welcome feedback on the composition and methodology of the Index in order to work to improve this product. The first full-fledged edition of the Index will be published in May 2012 and will then become an annual project.

Composition of the Index:

The Index consists of three dimensions that are further disaggregated into sections, categories, subcategories and items. The dimensions and sections are:

I. Linkage

• Political dialogue and CFSP/ESDP cooperation
• Trade and economic integration
• Freedom, security and justice
• Energy and Transport
• Education and People-to-people
• EU assistance

II. Approximation

• Democracy
• Rule of law
• Governance quality
• Market economy
• Freedom, security and justice
• Energy and Transport
• Education and People-to-people

III. Management of European integration

• Coordination mechanism
• Legal approximation
• Involvement of civil society
• External assistance coordination

The following sources were consulted to develop the composition of the Index. This list not exhaustive, since a number of experts from official institutions and civil society were consulted to develop a number of items.

The detailed and comprehensive composition of the Index can be found here.

Methodology:

The Index is based on an expert survey and on statistical data from official sources. Experts were requested to answer a detailed, standardized questionnaire, and their assessments were reviewed to ensure a cross-national comparability.

Project team:

The project is implemented by IRF in cooperation with Open Society Foundations.

Over 30 experts from the EaP countries and the EU (including Denys Kovryzhenko from the Agency for Legislative Initiatives) have been involved. The project also appreciates the contribution of Ukraine-based experts from the EU Delegation to Ukraine and various civil society organizations for having assisted with development of Index composition.

Ukrainian experts’ community is demanding from the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to be coherent in the official Kyiv argumentations concerning Ukraine’s European integration course.

Various NGOs and think tanks representatives, as well as public activists consider the option to postpone the conclusion of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU to be unacceptable, referring to recent statement of the President of Ukraine to Bloomberg news agency.

Lack of formally declared EU membership perspective in the Association Agreement cannot be considered as a possible reason to hamper its initialing and further signing, as the Agreement itself contains clearly defined  European perspective for Ukraine.

Civic experts’ community emphasizes that the European Union does not put any pressure on Ukraine, as Ukraine being an independent country, voluntarily and without external compulsion, has chosen the path of the EU political association and economic integration, despite the claims of some MPs from the Party of Regions.  This format of cooperation implies that the European values are provided, including the ones of democracy – fair political competition, an independent judiciary and the rule of law.

However, both Ukrainian citizens and international community observe how inconsistent actions and claims of those who are in power in Ukraine are moving away the Association Agreement initialing, scheduled for December 2011, thus depriving the Ukrainian society of its European perspective.

Such developments bring a number of threats for Ukraine. Firstly, the absence of legally enshrined commitments to implement pro-European reforms in Ukraine will hold down the very probability of such reforms’ implementation in the future.
Secondly, the prospect of visa-free regime for Ukrainians will be postponed sine die. Thirdly, the EU foreign assistance is likely to be reduced and the way it is delivered might be changed. That will adversely affect the possibility for Ukraine to conduct fundamental institutional and structural reforms, which actually enable further modernization of the country by the European model.

Therefore, Ukrainian experts’ community primarily appeals to the President of Ukraine –  the Guarantee of the Constitution of Ukraine – and other officials to complete negotiations with the European Union initialling and signing the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.

Two following conditions are necessarily to be provided:

• fair and transparent parliamentary and presidential elections;
• rule of law and functioning of the independent judicial system of Ukraine.

Moreover, civic experts still find their joint appeal to the EU institutions of September 12th this year –which is to continue dialogue with Ukraine, because a gradual and steady process of EU-Ukraine convergence is an effective modernization instrument in the interests of millions of Ukrainians – to be a valid one and of high importance.

Open Statement was already signed by:

1)    Oleksandr Palyj, an independent expert
2)    Pavliuk Sviatoslav, PAUCI
3)    Oleksandr Chernenko, Committee of voters of Ukraine
4)    Iryna Bekeshkina, Democratic Initiatives Foundation
5)    Oleh Rybachuk, Civic Expert Council
6)    Anna Golubovska-Anisimova, NGO “MAMA-86”
7)    Oleksandr Sushko, Institute for Euro-Atlantic cooperation
8)    Yulia Tyschenko, Ukrainian independent Center of Political research
9)    Yuriy Tretiak, Association of Agencies for regional development
10)    Mykhailo Gonchar, Centre “Nomos”
11)    Galyna Usatenko, Europe XXI Foundation
12)    Ihor Kohut, Laboratory for legislative initiatives
13)    Ihor Koliushko, Centre for Political and Legal Reforms
14)    Ihor Burakovskyj, The institute for economic research and policy consulting
15)    Viktor Zamiatin, an independent analyst
16)    Natalia Andrusevych, Resource and analysis center “Society and environment”
17)    Svitlana zalichuk, Centre UA
18)    Viktoria Sjymar, The institute of mass information
19)    Oleksij Tolkachov, European association of Ukrainians
20)    Viktor Taran, Center of political studies and analyses
21)    Oleksandra Matvijchuk, The center for civil liberties
22)    Kostjantyn Kvurt, Internews-Ukraine
23)    Sergij Sydorenko, an independent expert
24)    Iryna Stashenko, NGO “Hrystynivchanu”
25)    Oleh Olijnyk, Ukrainian bar association
26)    Taras Petriv, Souspilnist foundation
27)    Ihor Studennikov, The centre for regional studies
28)    Kyrylo Gyvotovskyj, European choise
29)    Ihor Todorov, an independent expert
30)    Jyrij Lukanov, an independent journalist
31)    Iryna Solonenko, European programme International Renaissance foundation
32)    Dmytro Shulga, European programme International Renaissance foundation
33)    Valerij Karbashevskyj, European partnership
34)    Klympush-Tsyntsadze Ivanna, an independent expert
35)     Volodymyr Gorbach, Institute for Euro-Atlantic cooperation

The Reform Support Network, the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, and the Civic Assembly of Ukraine consider it inadmissible to deny public access to the information on the functioning of the self-governance bodies and their officials, in particular shortly before the next local elections. We are deeply indignant about the frequent cases of physical violence against public figures which monitor the election campaign.

On 14 September 2010, in Kherson, during the report made by the City Mayor Volodymyr Saldo, some unknown individuals beat Dementiy Bilyi, Head of Kherson Office of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine and journalist of the Free Choice newspaper. Violating the legislative guarantees of the journalistic activities, first, the security did not want to let him (as well as other journalists and as number of opposition deputies) into the whole, the Mayor was reporting, and later some unknown individuals caused Mr Bilyi some injures after he tried to address the Mayor publicly in order to find out why the any access to the event was denied. As a result, the journalist has had hypertonic crisis and cerebral contusion.

The Reform Support Network, the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, and the Civic Assembly of Ukraine see in the actions of the unknown individuals the crimes that are subject to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in particular, obstruction of the journalists work and causing bodily injury. In addition, the incident is yet another damage to the international image of Ukraine, in particular soon before Ukraine’s presidency in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (May – November 2011).

We call on the public authorities of Ukraine to react to the situation and apply the relevant sanctions in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution and laws. In particular, we call on the President of Ukraine, the Ombudsman, the Parliamentary Committee for Freedom of Speech and Information, as well as the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, National Minorities, and Interethnic Relations.

We call on the international community, in particular the Reporters Without Borders, to give international publicity to the described case, which goes in line with the reversal of democracy in Ukraine, as well as to mention this instance in the reports issued by monitoring organizations.

Finally, we call on the Mayor of Kherson Volodymyr Saldo to apologize publicly to Dementiy Bilyi for the incident that occurred at the event arranged by the city authorities and to organize another event for the public of the city in presence of everybody interested.

16.09.2010

Reform Support Network, Committee of Voters of Ukraine, Civic Assembly of Ukraine Statement

The reform of political parties legislation and regulation can act as a platform from which to consider a wide array of crucial issues in the development of a stable and lasting democratic party system. These include, inter alia, political party financing, internal party democracy, the participation of women, registration and monitoring of political parties.

In partnership with the OSCE`s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and with the financial support of the European Union, Denys Kovryzhenko and his colleagues at the Agency for Legislative Initiatives (ALI), led an in-depth consultative process with key stakeholders in Ukraine on the issue of political party legislation reform, raising problems and proposing possible solutions.

The result is Regulation of Political Parties in Ukraine: the Current State and Direction of Reforms, a comprehensive report which thoroughly analyses the particular problems and issues in Ukraine’s legislative and regulatory framework for political parties. Looking forward, and based on the results of the consultations, the report proposes an agenda for reform based on international European standard and best practice.

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union, within the framework of a joint project of the European Union and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).