Ukraine | Brussels, 7-8 July 2015

Experts from the EU, Russia and Ukraine met in Brussels on 7-8 July for trilateral talks. The aim of these talks was to find solutions to the concerns raised by Russia regarding the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement/Free Trade Area (AA/DCFTA) that will be provisionally applied as of 1 January 2016.

Following the mandate set out in the Minsk Declaration of 12 February 2015 and the Joint Operational Conclusions of May of this year, three areas were discussed: technical regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues and customs cooperation. The exchanges were constructive and some progress was made on the basis of concrete suggestions put forward by the EU for all areas.

The experts will continue work in the coming weeks in view of reporting to Commissioner Malmström, Minister Ulyukayev and Minister Klimkin in July. Further steps will be decided on this basis, including a next ministerial meeting in early September, with a view of reaching a common understanding on bilateral and trilateral solutions compatible with the AA/DCFTA.