Vocabulary notes

incentive – побуждающий мотив

under the auspices of – под охраной

merger – соединение, объединение

acquisition – приобретение, поглощение

impartiality – справедливость

elimination of limitations – устранение ограничений

red tape – бюрократия

accession - допуск

Case study

Possible Consequences of the Ukrainian Accession to the European Union (EU).

Background information

1. The European Union (EU) was established on the basis of the Treaty of Rome signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Its aim was to encourage relations between European countries after the horror of the Second World War. In 1973 the first EU countries were joined by Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom; in 1981 by Greece; and in 1986 by Spain and Portugal. Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU in 1995.

2. Ukraine is going to join the EU but there are some consequences of joining it for Ukraine’s Economic Sectors both positive and negative.

Problem

Ministry of Economy appointed the working group consisting of directors of different enterprises to verify the positive and negative consequences of entering the EU, how to minimize the possible negative effects and to make the best of EU’s membership.

Comprehension and Discussion Questions

1. What new opportunity could the EU give to Ukraine?

2. Will prices go down or increase for imported goods and services and domestic ones?

3. Will there be subsequent changes in the volume and structure of consumption which would approximate the standards of the developed economies?

4. Will an increased solvent demand have appositive effect on production growth and improvements in people’s social and economic status?

5. What will the national producers gain from easier access to the world markets of goods, services and capital?

6. What are the possible negative effects of joining the EU?

7. How will it be possible to defend the national interests of Ukraine?

8. Will the privileges for the national coal-mining, metallurgy, ship building, automobile-and aircraft-making industries be canceled?

9. What are the main Ukrainian exports now and will they be the same in future?

10. Will the export of tourist services in Ukraine be increased or not?

11. Will the Ukraine’s membership in the EU remove the threat of anti-dumping investigations?

12. What restructural problem is Ukraine likely to be faced with to avoid the probability of prevailing negative consequences?

Text III. Foreign trade policy of ukraine

At the present stage of Ukraine’s economic development, special attention should be paid to the following issues: further maturing of foreign trade activities, ensuring integration of the Ukrainian economy into the structures of world economic space, and international division of labor. Modern globalization processes require that Ukraine be involved in the international trade system as widely as possible. The crucial issue is complete settlement of problems concerning Ukraine’s integration to the WTO and implementation of provision on partnership and cooperation with the EU. This will facilitate comprehensive implementation of the potential of Ukrainian enterprises and attraction of foreign investments.

With this aim, presently, the work at the State Program for Stimulating Export of products, including high-tech. products, is being completed. The program is developed with the aim of fulfilling relevant assignments of the President of Ukraine and Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The program defines export strategy of Ukraine as a constituent of the policy of structural transformation of the economy.

The Program aims to expand export and enhance its efficiency. To reach this goal, there are developed and introduced mechanisms aimed at attracting and accumulating own investment resources, which could become the basis for making transformations in the national economy, facilitate enhancement of competitiveness for domestically made products to satisfy needs of interior market and expand export potential.

Export strategy of Ukraine is aimed at structural transformation of economy, maturing sectional and territorial structure of production, increase of percentage and actual volume of products with high rate of processing, especially, knowledge – intensive products, narrowing of raw materials export, narrowing of ecologically dangerous and resource-intensive production, which create dependence on supply of energy resourced, raw materials and semis, and as a result, increase in revenues of the state and earnings of business entities.

Export strategy foresees:

• Creating equal conditions for all the foreign trade business entities;

• Introduction of efficient system for export control;

• Applying progressive forms of international economic interaction;

• Facilitating development of Ukraine’s investment activities abroad (export of capital) with the aim of creating joint ventures, implementation of other forms of the international division of labor;

• Providing stability of legislation, and creating legal backgrounds for the international division of labor;

• Providing stability of legislation, and creating legal backgrounds for favorable regime of producers’ operation – exporters of domestic products.

Attention of Ukraine export policy should be mainly concentrated within the following directions.

The first – development of adequate theoretic-methodological basis for stimulating accelerated development of export potential in compliance with strategic priorities of the country.

The second – research of macroeconomic preconditions of efficient export activity, taking into account global experience. Main attention should be paid to the problem of calculation of economic efficiency of export activity and issue of state stimulation of export development in priority directions.

The third – settlement of key macroeconomic problems of efficient export activity, foremost, the problem of marketing approach to export activities, development of its efficiency at the level of enterprises, efficient usage of commodities and direct foreign investments with the aim of expanding export potential.

At last, further development of Ukrainian foreign trade activity is closely connected with the prospect to integrate into the World Trade Organization, adherence to the international standards and GAAT rules.