Ukraine has implemented around 15% of the reforms set out in the 10-point plan agreed with the European Union as part of preparations for accession negotiations, reports The Guardian, citing an assessment by EU officials.
According to the newspaper, the plan was agreed in December between European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Taras Utka. It includes priority measures in the areas of the rule of law, anti-corruption policy, the judiciary and the public prosecutor’s office.
In particular, the programme provides for measures to strengthen the independence of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), the adoption of an Anti-Corruption Strategy, as well as reforms to the procedures for appointing judges and prosecutors.
The Guardian notes that European officials acknowledge the efforts of Ukraine and Moldova to implement reforms under difficult circumstances; however, in the case of Ukraine, this assessment is accompanied by disappointment over the insufficiently rapid implementation of agreed priorities.
The article appeared against the backdrop of the start of the first phase of Ukraine and Moldova’s EU accession negotiations. This stage concerns the so-called first cluster of negotiations — issues of the rule of law, democracy, the functioning of institutions and fundamental reforms.
For Ukraine, these areas are key, as without progress in the anti-corruption and judicial spheres, further progress across the negotiation clusters will be hampered. The EU traditionally regards the independence of anti-corruption bodies and the quality of the work of the prosecution service and the judicial system as the foundation for all other reforms.
Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022 following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. In June 2022, the country was granted candidate status, and in 2024 the EU formally opened accession negotiations. However, practical progress in the negotiations depends on the implementation of reforms and the unanimous support of all EU member states.
The Guardian reports that EU accession requires a candidate country to adopt thousands of European laws and decisions, as well as approval from all current EU members. Therefore, even with political support for Ukraine, the integration process could take years.
Source: The Guardian — ‘Ukraine and Moldova to enter first phase of EU membership negotiations’.