What does the Association Agreement mean? How to provide assistance in drafting new AA related legislation? How to support AA implementation, including planning, monitoring and reporting? How to provide ad hoc legal expertise? How to contribute to assessment of regulatory, economic and social impact of newly approximated legislation?

We all in a way heard about both the European integration and especially about the Free Trade Area. On October 19^th 2016, the topic has been highlighted in the seminar “Understanding of the European integration and the Free Trade Area as bonus knowledge in the work of communicators” by Lidiia Yershykhina.

The first strategic meeting of the project with the European Union Delegation to Ukraine representatives, Internews and line Ministries (Ministry of Economy and Trade, Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Energy and Coal mining industry, Ministry of social policy, Ministry of Justice, Vice-Prime Minister Office on European Integration, Governmental Office for European Integration) communication officers took place on November 29^th.

During October 3 – 13 of 2016 the classrooms of the National Academy of Public Administration were full of languages and terms. The Training Unit started its 1st Induction Training for Translation Fellows in the framework of the Human Resource Development Component's Fellowship Program of the EU funded project Association4U.

The Trainees are benefiting from solid background & professional experience of the best Trainers: Professor of Law of the Westmnster University Adam Lazowski, Professor of Law of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy Roman Petrov, Association4U Training Expert Marc Van Den Mujizinberg and the team of professional Senior Trainers Lyudmyla Cheirnyaha, Maryna Chulayevska and Svitlana Batsyukova. (to know more about professional background of the Association4U Training Unit, please click here).

Live discussions of the 1st wave of recruiting under the Project Fellowship Programme & first project results in the fields of legal approximation, human resources development, coordination of EUI processes and communicating AA reforms. Gathering of Deputy Ministers on EUI Integration, heads of units of the priority AA implementing Line Ministries, representatives of the EU Delegation to Ukraine and of the Support Group to Ukraine, as well as partnering projects at one place. It’s all about the 1st Steering Committee Meeting on the implementation of the EU funded Project Association4U, held on September 21/2016.

First five Communication Fellows started their work this September and immediately got their first motivation & inspiration meeting with the key communicator of the Euro-Integration processes, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European & Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsynsadze. 

Top priorities for the upcoming months are: development & implementation of the AA Communication Strategy & Plan, promoting AA reform agenda through social media, targeted trainings for the communication units of the Line Ministries.

What do we want to communicate: the “Association Agreement” as the document or reforms and the way how peoples’ lives will change with their implementation? The issue has become a part of the discussion during “Communicating reforms” workshop held by on May 31/2016 by Ms. Ehtel Halliste, former Press Spokesperson for Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.