Economic cooperation was set as one of the Eastern Partnership key priorities. The basic alternative for further development of economic cooperation within the EaP and between the EaP and the EU is a two-step integration: Establishment of the Neighbourhood Economic Community of the Association Agreement signatory states; creation of the Common Economic Space of NEC with the EU. Ukraine is acting as a locomotive on promoting within the EU ideas to transform the current EaP format, so Ukrainian stakeholders have to focus their efforts on the NEC format justification and advance.