Stanowisko Parlamentu Europejskiego wobec procesu stowarzyszeniowego Ukrainy z Unią Europejską

The article discusses the role played by the European Parliament (EP) in the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The aim of this process is to establish a close and mutual political and economic cooperation on both sides. By stressing the importance of EP as the only EU body having democratic legitimacy, and thus defines itself as a "guardian of democracy" in the modern world, analyzing its position on the conclusion of an EU association agreement with Ukraine. It should be noted that the EP pays particular attention in the context of the association to the development of democracy in Ukraine and its respect of democratic standards. This authority recognizing the geopolitical importance of Ukraine is in favour of deepening the EU's cooperation with that country through the conclusion of an association agreement and calls for granting Ukraine a potential European perspective. However, what is worth noting the EP in numerous resolutions makes conditional the progress in the bringing Ukraine to the EU from the incorporation of the values defined as European (democracy, rule of law, protection of minorities, etc.) by Kiev. Therefore, events that indicate a crisis of democracy in Ukraine pay such important matter for the European Parliament (e.g. the imprisonment of opposition politicians, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko) to which the authorities usually adopt a clearly negative position, often contrasting with more "balanced" opinions of other EU institutions.