Fourth interview of the series “Klartext“: The EU-Ukrainian Association Agreement and the role of think tanks in its implementation
Within the framework of the project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication” (PAIC), the fourth interview of the “Klartext” series with Ukrainian think tanks was published. Liubov Akulenko, founder and director of the think tank “Ukrainian Centre for European Policy” (UCEP), answers questions about the Association Agreement and UCEP’s role in the implementation.
In the interview, Akulenko addresses the following subjects: Which areas show the greatest success in the implementation of the Association Agreement and in which areas catching-up is needed? Do state structures – including the Government Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration – have enough capacities to establish and monitor the alignment to European legislation? How does the Ukrainian government and civil society work together on the implementation of the Association Agreement? And why should regional think tanks be supported in regard to the Association Agreement?
The “Ukrainian Centre for European Policy” (UCEP) was founded in 2015 and since then focuses exclusively on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union to provide professional support in the implementation process. UCEP was a key actor in developing the online platform “Navigator” which monitors the convergence of laws.
The interview series “Klartext” aims to increase the presence and public awareness of Ukrainian think tanks, both within Ukraine and Germany. Additionally, the series engages to convey an image of the overall think tank landscape and general developments within Ukraine. Particular attention is set on the challenges that Ukrainian think tanks are facing regularly, as well as their role for the implementation of domestic reforms.
The project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication” (PAIC) is conducted by the Institute for European Politics e.V. (IEP, Berlin), in cooperation with the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF, Kiev), the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF, Kiev) and the think tank initiative “think twice UA” (Kiev), supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.
Read the full interview in German here.
