ABSTRACT
The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), is the first of a new generation of Association Agreements (AAs) with the Eastern Partnership countries that must establish a new and unique model of political association and economic integration. DCFTA goes much further than traditional free trade areas (FTAs), foreseeing not only mutual market access for goods but also providing the gradual liberalisation of services and binding provisions on all other key trade issues. The DCFTA contains numerous legislative approximation clauses according to which Ukraine must approximate its domestic legislation or standards to EU legislation. Ukraine is granted gradual and partial access to the EU internal market. This quid pro quo deal is quite revolutionary as it is, contrary to previous soft law instruments of the EU such as the Action Plan and Association Agenda a legally binding instrument for legislative approximation in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and Eastern Partnership (EaP).
