Issue: № 5, 2026
Doi: https://doi.org/10.37634/efp.2026.5.7p
Introduction. European integration policy has been one of Ukraine's strategic priorities since independence. The system of program documents in this field has undergone fundamental changes after the signing of the Association Agreement in 2014 and especially after Ukraine obtained EU candidate status in June 2022. Program documents in the field of European integration policy represent a heterogeneous group of acts in terms of their legal nature, combining features of strategic state planning documents, legally binding obligations and political declarations. The purpose of the paper is to investigate and systematize program documents in the field of Ukraine's European integration policy, reveal their legal nature and significance, identify patterns in the evolution of the system of such documents, and develop recommendations for its improvement in the context of EU membership preparation. Results. The paper classifies program documents into four groups by legal force and identifies four main stages of their evolution: formation of European integration orientation (1991–1998), deepening of partnership (1998–2013), implementation of the Association Agreement (2014–2022), and preparation for EU membership (2022–present). Key documents analyzed include the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (1994), the EU Integration Strategy (1998), the Law on the State Programme of Adaptation of Legislation (2004), the Association Agreement (2017), and the Ukraine Plan under Regulation (EU) 2024/792, which conditions disbursements of up to €50 billion on the implementation of 69 reforms and 10 investments. Systemic problems identified include fragmentation of the document system, insufficient realism, weak monitoring mechanisms, inadequate inter-agency coordination, limited civil society participation, and legal uncertainty of the status of program documents. Conclusion. The proposed measures – anchoring program documents in state planning legislation, strengthening the Governmental Office for EU and Euro-Atlantic Integration, establishing an independent evaluation mechanism, ensuring mandatory public consultations, and linking reporting to the Ukraine Plan scoreboard – are aimed at improving the quality, realism and enforceability of program documents, and will contribute to Ukraine's successful progress on its EU accession path.
Keywords : European integration policy, program documents, Association Agreement, EU candidate, national program, action plan, legislation adaptation
References:
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