THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION LAW

Abstract

Abstract. The article describes the legal nature of the association as a special form of cooperation
among the EU and third countries. It was determined that in the EU practice the use
of association has its own specific features and differs from the associate membership that exists
in a number of international organizations, which provides a limited participation of associate
members in the foundation documents of the organization. Horewer in the EU law the
association relations are formed and clearly governed by a separate international agreement:

only the association agreement is the subject of negotiations between the parties and the associate
partners are legally bound by the standards of this agreement.
Special attention is devoted to the analysis of those provisions of the founding agreements of
the EU in the Lisbon edition which now serve as the legal basis for the conclusion of EU association
agreements. It is pointed out that the practice of the EU Court of Justice plays an important
role in the formation of the legal nature of the association.
On the basis of the classification the peculiarities of legal regulation of various types of association
with the EU are determined, namely: the associations with the overseas countries and
territories; associations as the models of cooperation with non-European countries; associations
with the European countries.
Special institutional mechanism and the establishment of a free trade zone are special features
of the association agreements with the EU.
Key words: association, European Union, EU international agreements, the EU, EU law, EU
external relations.