Member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands, the liberal Johannes van Balen hopes that the Parliament of the Netherlands on the ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union will take two to three months. He said this on Tuesday in Strasbourg during the discussion on the issue of the deterioration of the situation in the East of Ukraine, which was held in plenary.
“We need the Association Agreement. I am happy that not so long ago the Dutch government brought to the second chamber of the Dutch Parliament a draft law (ratification). It will then be sent to the Senate”, – the politician.
While van Balen expressed confidence that the ratification of the document will be completed in the near future. “It means two or three months. We need the Association Agreement,” – said the MEP.
Recall, 15 December EU summit, EU leaders agreed with the proposals of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, which are aimed at unblocking the ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, which was suspended due to the negative outcome of the referendum in the Netherlands.
Proposal of the Netherlands issued in the form of Annex to the Agreement. The European Council stressed that the decision contained in the application is legally binding for the 28 member States of the European Union and may be changed or cancelled only by mutual consent of the heads of state and government.
We are talking about the fact that the decision will come into force after the Kingdom of the Netherlands will ratify the agreement and to conclude. If this does not happen, the decision will cease to exist.
On the same day, Rutte said that he intends as soon as possible to offer the Dutch Parliament to ratify the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, based on adopted at the summit of the EU legally binding decision. The foreign Ministry of Ukraine hopes that the lower house of the Dutch Parliament in January 2017 complete the ratification of the Association Agreement.
