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The signing of the Common Aviation Area (CAA) Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union (EU) is one of the priority task on the agenda in Ukraine. The implementation of the CAA Agreement is envisaged in the Association Agreement (2014) between the EU and Ukraine, the Action Plan of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine1 (CMU) and the Strategic Development Plan of the aviation transport. Despite of the officially announced readiness of the Ukrainian side, the signing of the CAA Agreement has been postponed since 2013. Investigation of the external and internal problems for the integration of Ukraine into the CAA creates the topicality of this paper and leads to the purpose of the article. Purpose of the article is comprehensive study of the legal basis and background of ECAA, analyzing the neighborhood policies and hence, the determination of the main directions of incorporation of the EU civil aviation requirements and standards regarding market access, air traffic organization, flight safety, the environment and other issues in Ukraine’s legislation. The article is based on usage of the general and special-legal scientific methods of cognition, as well as formal legal and dialectical approaches. Legal basement of this work, in particular, consists of: a) the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU of 2014; b) National Program of Adaptation of the Legislation of Ukraine to the Legislation of the European Union (adopted by the Law of Ukraine on November 04, 2018, № 2581-VIII); c) the Strategic Plan for the Development of Air Transport (adopted by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine on December 21, 2015, Decree № 546) and d) the Action Plan to Prepare for the Introduction of a CAA of Ukraine with the EU and its Member States (adopted by the CMU on February 8, 2017, Order № 88-o) and other regulations. Results of the paper include the conceptual theoretic investigation to reveal external and internal problems on the way to the Ukraine’s integration into the CAA of the EU, practical recommendations for the process of approximation of Ukraine’s legislation to the EU’s standards, and contribute to the liberalization of regulation of international air services.

The Mediterranean region is of fundamental importance to Europe given its strategic position. The responsibility for its overall ecosystem integrity is shared by European Union Member States (EU-MS) and other Mediterranean countries. A juxtaposition of overlapping governance instruments occurred recently in the region, with the implementation of both the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) for EU-MS and the Ecosystem Approach Strategy (ECAP) for all Mediterranean countries, including EU-MS. Both MSFD and ECAP are structured around vision-driven processes to achieve Good Environmental Status and a Healthy Environment, respectively. These processes have clear ecosystem-based, integrated policy objectives to guarantee the preservation and integrity of Mediterranean marine ecosystem goods and services. However, adoption of these instruments, especially those related to the new EU-MS directives on marine policy, could result in a governance gap in addition to the well-known economic gap between the EU and the non-EU political blocs. We identify two complementary requirements for effective implementation of both MSFD and ECAP that could work together to reduce this gap, to ensure a better alignment between MSFD and ECAP and better planning for stakeholder engagement. These are key issues for the future success of these instruments in a Mediterranean region where discrepancies between societal and ecological objectives may pose a challenge to these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the process through which Ireland changed its policies towards smoking in work-places and distil lessons for others implementing or extending smoke-free laws. This analysis is informed by a review of secondary sources including a commissioned media analysis, documentary analysis and key informant interviews with policy actors who provide insight into the process of smoke-free policy development. The policy analysis techniques used include the development of a time-line for policy reform, stakeholder analysis, policy mapping techniques, impact analysis through use of secondary data and a review process. The policy analysis triangle, which highlights the importance of examining policy content, context, actors and processes, will be used as an analytical framework. The importance of the political, economic, social and cultural context emerged clearly. The interaction of the context with the policy process both in identification of need for policy and its formulation demonstrated the opportunity for advocates to exert influence at all points of the process. The campaign to support the legislation had the following characteristics: a sustained consistent simple health message, sustained political leadership/commitment, a strong coalition between the Health Alliance, the Office of Tobacco Control and the Department of Health and Children, with cross-party political support and trade union support. The public and the media support clearly defined the benefit of deliberate and consistent planning and organization of a communication strategy. The Irish smoke-free legislation was a success as a policy initiative because of timing, dedication, planning, implementation and the existence of strong leadership and a powerful convinced credible political champion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]