Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte | Bart Maat/AFP via Getty Images Dutch Senate backs EU-Ukraine trade deal The EU and Ukraine signed the deal in 2014, but it needs ratification by all national parliaments.

Members of the Dutch Senate on Tuesday backed the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, bringing to an end an embarrassing episode for the government after the deal was rejected by voters in a referendum last year.

The lower house of the Dutch parliament gave its backing to the deal in February, but additional support from other parties in the Senate was needed as the Dutch government coalition members do not have a majority in the upper house.

The agreement, which strengthens trade ties between the EU and Kiev, had been approved by all EU member countries but was put to a referendum in the Netherlands after an anti-EU group collected enough signatures to force a public vote. The government lost the non-binding vote.

In a bid to calm citizens' fears, Prime Minister Mark Rutte in December agreed with the other EU leaders that the agreement would not lead to automatic EU membership for Ukraine and would not commit member countries to financially support the country.

In a statement, Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said he welcomed the outcome. "We are nearly there. Our association agreement ... is now one step closer to being ratified. I would like to see the process now being finalized swiftly, in time for the EU-Ukraine Summit in July," Juncker said.

The EU and Ukraine signed the association agreement in 2014. It will enter into force once all parties have ratified it.