Legal Aspects of the EU Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in the Context of the EU Eastern Partnership Initiative

The present publication is probably the first comparative analysis of the new Association Agreements between the European Union, its Member States and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine from a legal perspective. It mainly includes contributions by young scholars from Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, which were prepared in a research project at the University of Kiel in 2014/2015. The three Association Agreements share many similarities, e. g. in the DCFTA parts of the agreements, but there are also significant differences, e. g. in the size of the agreements and in many details. Some provisions are also related to WTO rules, others to EU law. Parallels may also be seen with other EU trade agreements, such as CETA and TTIP. For a correct interpretation and application of the three Association Agreements a comparative view is helpful in order to avoid divergences in interpretation, but also in order to understand the existing specifics of each Agreement. Although the book is written from a legal perspective it is hoped to be useful for any reader interested in international trade and in political cooperation between the EU and its Eastern neighbours.