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This Decision No 1/2025 of the EU-Ukraine Association Committee in Trade Configuration aims to further integrate Ukraine into the EU’s internal market, specifically concerning roaming on public mobile communications networks. It modifies Appendix XVII-3 of Annex XVII to the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine, focusing on aligning Ukrainian legislation with EU standards in the telecommunications sector. The decision grants Ukraine additional time to fully implement certain articles of Directive (EU) 2018/1972, considering the difficulties caused by Russia’s ongoing war of aggression. It also clarifies which provisions of EU legislation are relevant for Ukraine’s regulatory approximation in the roaming service subsector and sets a new timetable for Ukraine to implement Directive (EU) 2018/1972.
The act consists of a preamble that outlines the reasons and objectives for the decision, followed by three articles. Article 1 states that Part A of Appendix XVII-3 of Annex XVII to the Association Agreement is modified as set out in the Annex to the decision. Article 2 specifies the languages in which the decision is authentic. Article 3 states that the decision enters into force on the date of its adoption. The Annex contains the revised text of Part A of Appendix XVII-3, detailing the specific EU directives and regulations that Ukraine must implement, along with adaptations and timelines. Compared to previous versions, this decision introduces specific adaptations to the implementation deadlines for certain articles of Directive (EU) 2018/1972 and clarifies the scope of relevant provisions for roaming services.
Several provisions of this act are particularly important. First, Ukraine is granted additional time to fully implement Article 7(2), Article 8(1), and Article 30(6) of Directive (EU) 2018/1972, which relate to the independence and accountability of the national regulatory authority. Second, the act specifies which articles of Directive (EU) 2018/1972, Regulation (EU) 2022/612, Regulation (EU) 2018/1971, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2286, and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/654 are relevant for Ukraine’s obligations on regulatory approximation in the roaming service subsector. Finally, the act establishes that in the event of discrepancies between the text of EU regulations and their incorporation into Ukrainian law, the EU text prevails, ensuring consistency and legal certainty.
