The EESC, a consultative body to the EU Commission and EU Council of Ministers composed of representatives of civil society organizations, liberal professions, NGO’s, has been visiting Ukraine on June 23-25. During the visit the EESC Delegation met with the high ranking Ukrainian officials: First Deputy Prime Minister Kinakh, Deputy Prime Minister Rybachuk, Deputy Foreign Minister Buteyko, Deputy Minister of Economy Ignaschenko, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Kyrylenko, Ombudswoman Karpachova, etc.

European Commissioner Siim Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission visits Kyiv from 26-28 June. Commissioner Kallas’ portfolio includes Administrative affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud. During his stay in Kyiv he will discuss these issues with President V. Yushchenko, Prime Minister Y. Tymoshenko, Deputy Prime Minister R. Bezsmertnyi, Deputy Prime Minister O. Rybachuk, and Secretary of the Council for National Security and Defence P Poroshenko, Minister of Interior Y. Lutsenko and Minister of Justice R. Zvarych.

On 22 June 2005, a round table meeting entitled “Mortgage Lending: Ukrainian Realities and Development Prospects” hosted by the National Bank of Ukraine was organised by the EU-funded Establishment of Mortgage Market Rules and Legislation Project. The event’s main topic was promoting the role of Ukrainian National Mortgage Association (UNIA) as a think tank to develop a sound mortgage structure in Ukraine, as well as raising project public awareness among the public, market players, counterparts and the government. MPs and representatives from the country’s leading commercial banks and insurance companies, state institutions and international donor organisations shared their views and expectations on the current mortgage market.

A Delegation from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will visit Ukraine from 23-25 June 2005. The Delegation, headed by the EESC President Anne-Marie Siegmund, will hold meetings with the Minister of Economy S. Teriokhin, the Deputy Foreign Minister R. Buteyko, Deputy Prime Minister A.Kinakh, the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, V. Kyrylenko, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, O. Bilozir; and Ombudswoman N. Karpachova with a view to discuss areas of future cooperation and issues of common concern such as the development of civil society, trade unions, professional and consumer associations in Europe.

On June 30, 2005, President Hotel Kyyivskyi will host the presentation of the Tacis Project Development of a System of Continuing Education at Workplace. This Project is a support to the state in reforming of the system of life-long continuing education of personnel at workplace as one of the factors of Ukrainian economy development. The Project is executed by the Consortium comprising: European Profiles S.A. (Greece), EPU - NTUA (Greece), Aalborg Technical College (Denmark), and Fontys University of Professional Education (Netherlands). Project’s partner – the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Ukraine.

Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and the Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU, Mr Roman Shpek, signed an agreement today allowing Ukraine to participate in EU crisis management operations, including peacekeeping, carried out under the EU's common foreign and security policy (CFSP).

The agreement, signed at the end of today's meeting of the EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council in Luxembourg, will help strengthen further the cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. It lays down the general conditions for the participation of Ukraine in civilian and military crisis management operations carried out by the EU.  

On 16 June, 4 pm, the Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine, Steffen Skovmand, will discuss the topic of “Coverage of the EU in Ukrainian media” with readers of the internet site “Telekritika” www.telekritika.kiev.ua

For more information please contact Anje Schubert, Press Officer, Tel (044) 253 3020

The ninth meeting of the EU-Ukraine Co-operation Council took place today, 13 June, in Luxembourg. The meeting allowed both sides to review the progress achieved in the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan since the endorsement of this Plan by the “Special” EU Ukraine Cooperation Council meeting of 21 February.

The Project inception workshop, organised by Cambridge Education and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, was held on 7 and 8 June in Kyiv.

50 participants working in the field of civic education attended, from schools, teacher training institutions, universities, and NGOs.

An agreement was initialled today on Ukraine’s participation in Europe’s satellite radionavigation programme by Mr François Lamoureux, Director-General for Energy and Transport, representing the European Commission, and by Mr Shamshur, deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Welcoming the outcome of the negotiations, François Lamoureux stated: “This new agreement with a key partner in GNSS technology underlines, once again, the success of GALILEO and its ever growing worldwide interest”.

The European Commission’s Director General for Energy and Transport
Mr Francois Lamoureux visits Ukraine from 2-4 June 2005 and invites the media for a press conference on

Co-operation between the EU and Ukraine in the sphere of energy and transport, initialling of the Galileo Agreement and the Civil Aviation Agreement

When: 3 June 2005, 15:15 pm

Where: 10 Kruhlo-Universytetska Street

Accreditation with Iryna Stadniychuk, Tel: 253 3020.