VZCZCXRO8818
OO RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHPOD RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHKV #0729 1011219
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101219Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5345
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0115
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KYIV 000729 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UMB, EB/TPP/BTA, EB/TPP/MTA 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR KLEIN/BURKHEAD 
USDOC FOR 4201/DOC/ITA/MAC/BISNIS 
USDOC FOR 4231/ITA/OEENIS/NISD/CLUCYK 
GENEVA FOR USTR 
 
E.O.: 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD WTRO PGOV UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENT RATIFIES ITS WTO PROTOCOL OF 
ACCESSION 
 
 
¶1. The Ukrainian Rada (parliament) on April 10 ratified Ukraine's 
protocol of accession to join the WTO.  The ratification followed 
approval of the protocol by the WTO's General Council on February 5. 
 Out of the 450 total Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Rada, 411 
voted in support of the accession protocol, with most Party of 
Regions and all Lytvyn Bloc MPs joining the ruling coalition to 
create a super-majority and to pass the bill in a single reading. 
Only the Communists opposed the measure. 
 
¶2. All that now remains is for President Yushchenko to sign the 
protocol of accession into law.  Once that is done, Ukraine will 
notify the WTO Secretariat that it has completed its ratification 
procedures, and 30 days later will officially become a WTO member. 
 
¶3. The Rada also passed five draft laws that are part of the final 
legislative package agreed to during multilateral negotiations as 
being necessary to bring Ukraine's trade regime into full compliance 
with WTO rules.  The following laws were adopted on April 10: 
 
-- Draft Law "On Introduction of Amendments to Certain Laws of 
Ukraine in the Sphere of Intellectual Property" (to bring Ukraine's 
treatment of geographical indications in line with WTO rules (TRIPS 
Articles 16, 17, 22, 24)); 
 
-- Draft Amendment to the Law "On Insurance" (to eliminate remaining 
limitations on reinsurance by foreign service suppliers) (Note: A 
short amendment was made to this law on the Rada floor before final 
passage.  End Note); 
 
-- Draft Amendment to the Law "On Standards, Technical Regulations 
and Conformity Assessment Procedures" (to bring Ukraine's conformity 
assessment system into compliance with WTO rules by providing for 
alternative methods of conformity assessment); 
 
-- Draft Amendment to Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Foreign 
Economic Activity" (to bring Ukraine's import licensing procedures 
fully in line with WTO rules); and 
 
-- Draft Amendment to Several Laws of Ukraine (to bring Ukraine's 
Trade Remedies Laws into compliance with WTO rules), including: 
      -- Amendment to the Law "On Protection of Domestic 
         Commodity Producers Against Subsidized Imports" 
      -- Amendment to the Law "On Protection of Domestic 
         Commodity Producers Against Dumped Imports" 
      -- Amendment to the Law "On Special Measures in 
         Regard to Imports into Ukraine" 
 
¶4. The other five draft laws that make up the final legislative 
package have also been submitted to the Rada and are making their 
way through the appropriate Committees.  Deputy Prime Minister 
Hryhoriy Nemyrya said at a public conference on April 9 that the GOU 
had wanted the protocol of accession and the entire legislative 
package to be voted on together, but Rada procedures made this 
difficult.  Post will send an updated legislative tracking chart to 
Washington by email. 
 
TAYLOR