How to Help Ukraine’s Economy Reform and Grow: A Test Case for the European Union
15 April 2015 12:00 pm CEST
Panel discussion in Brussels
Venue
Residence Palace, Polak Room, Rue de la Loi 155, 1040 Brussels
Description
Ukraine is a country currently split between East and West in political as well as in economic terms. Unless this division can be overcome – including some normalisation of relations with Russia - it will be difficult to achieve any lasting improvement of an economy burdened by structural weaknesses, corruption and war. A new study drawn up by the renowned Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) on behalf of United Europe maps out ways to address these issues.
Systemic reform efforts will be crucial to Ukraine's future prospects. The European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Dr. Johannes Hahn, is at the centre of the EU's support for reforms of the Ukrainian economy, public administration, and rule of law.
This event is organised by Bertelsmann Stiftung and United Europe.
Agenda
Introduction:
Joachim Fritz-Vannahme, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Keynote:
Dr. Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations
Panel:
Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel, former Chancellor of Austria (moderation)
Hryhoriy Nemyria, Chairman Human Rights Committee, Ukrainian Parliament
Peter Havlik and Michael Landesmann, wiiw
Dr. Jacek Kucharczyk, Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw
Luncheon: 12.00 to 12.45
Key note and discussion: 12.45 to 14.15
The study 'How to stabilise the economy of Ukraine' by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) will be presented by Michael Landesmann. The authors argue that consolidation measures should not come at the expense of the poorer segments of the population in order to maintain public support for reforms. Policies should focus on institutional reform and draw on the experiences from other transition countries in attracting FDI and implementing industrial and regional policies. The EU, on its part, should devise a trade policy regime that allows Ukraine to maintain economic ties with both Russia and the West.
