Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1490819
15 OPINION maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2023 UKRAINE'S economic and political in- tegration into the EU will strengthen the Union. We must not wait until the war is over to begin the process. Ukrainians have always strongly be- lieved in the European project. We believed in the European Union in the winter of 2013-14 when, despite Rus- sia's attempts to suppress democracy in Ukraine, we took to the streets and demanded our government sign an As- sociation Agreement with the EU. We have reinforced our chosen course by transforming the country while fight- ing Russia's war of aggression. On Feb- ruary 28, 2022, on the fifth day of the biggest war on the European continent since World War II, President Volody- myr Zelensky submitted Ukraine's ap- plication to join the EU. This step might seem spontaneous to some, but not to Ukrainians, not to our partners who know Ukraine well. Our EU member- ship application was a way of cementing the achievements and successes of the reforms that have turned Ukraine into a strong, resilient European state. Today, at a time of war, Ukraine con- tinues to carry out reforms that bring us closer to the EU even under daily attacks from terrorist Russia, which has chosen the path of intimidation and genocide. In 2022, 146 EU-bound draft laws were registered in the Ukrainian par- liament. Thirty-two were passed on their first reading and forty-four were adopted, including six key laws to im- plement the recommendations of the European Commission, as defined in its conclusion on EU candidate status for Ukraine. Ukraine will be moving fast to align its legislation with the EU to ensure the highest level of internal preparedness till the end of the year, which will ena- ble EU leaders to make a political deci- sion on opening accession negotiations. Some might ask: Why should we focus on this now, at a time of full-scale in- vasion? The fighting on the battlefield is about our survival as a state and na- tion; and Ukraine's EU integration is about our recovery and rebuilding. It's also about building a stronger, more united Europe. By taking the decision to grant Ukraine EU candidate status, the EU has ended an area of ambigui- ty that prompted Russian aggression and halted development of the Eastern neighborhood. Deepening cooperation Today, as the European project faces an existential threat, EU enlargement should again be seen from a strategic geopolitical perspective. While proceeding to EU accession, we are focused on deepening our coopera- tion, gradually integrating into EU in- ternal market as a result of implement- ing the acquis communautaire. This will support the two economies, both now and in the future, by giving Ukrain- ian and EU companies greater access to each other's markets, especially during the reconstruction of our country. We've seen this effect very well during the war so far; in 2022, thanks to the "Solidarity Lines" initiative, abolish- ing quotas and duties, and developing customs infrastructure, our exports of goods to the EU increased by 14.5 per cent compared to 2021. Amidst the ongoing geopolitical storm, the European Union must de- cide what kind of future it wants. The Union will succeed in protecting the "European way of life" only by actively defending it. This means becoming a centre of in- fluence and policy formation on the continent. To protect the community, the EU must also enhance its collec- tive security and defence from different kind of threats. Ukraine, with its Armed Forces that becomes stronger every day, can sig- nificantly strengthen the Union. To en- sure our security in years to come, we are going to further develop our mili- tary-industrial complex. And we see EU countries as our partners for joint pro- duction of high-tech weaponry. Ukraine also has many things to offer in the digital and innovation sphere. During a full-scale war, Ukraine has launched a number of important digital services to help its citizens. People can report property damage caused by Russian attacks, receive the status of internally displaced person in a few clicks through an app. And these are just a few examples of Ukraine's de- termined effort to build a digital state. Ukraine is already sharing this expertise with the EU partners; its participation in EU digital transformation will drive our economies and ensure EU digital sovereignty. Energy security Another milestone that we can only reach together is energy sovereignty. We have already witnessed how Europe is ridding itself of dependence on Rus- sian gas much faster than predicted. Moreover, European countries are advancing their transition to green en- ergy and climate neutrality. Hydrogen, biomethane, electricity generated from renewable, hydro and nuclear ener- gy sources, including in Ukraine, will reduce the need to import the energy from outside of Europe. Ukraine is essential to reaching the climate neutral continent goals of the European Green Deal. Our commit- ment to the green transition and decar- bonisation remains as strong as it was before the full-scale war that brought such a devastating impact to Ukraine's economy and environment. We are ready to work with the Euro- pean Commission to reinvent the green agenda for Ukraine – the basis for our EU integration and post-war recovery. Ukraine and the EU think and act alike, we share the same goals and val- ues. Ukraine's gradual full economic and political integration into the EU will strengthen the Union and contrib- ute to the achievement of its strategic autonomy. That's why we should not wait until the war is over to start the process of deeper integration and formal acces- sion. Why, during wartime, Ukraine's EU integration is more important than ever lha Stefanishyna Olha Stefanishyna is Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine EU Commission President Ursula Von der Heyen with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on her last visit to Kyiv