EU warns Ukraine: Aid and membership tied to independence of anti-corruption institutions
Photo: Valdis Dombrovskis (GettyImages)
European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis, who is responsible in Brussels for financial support to Ukraine, emphasized that further funding for Kyiv and the country’s progress toward EU membership is directly tied to the independence of its anti-corruption institutions, Financial Times reports.
According to him, the NABU (the National Anti-Corruption Bureau) and SAP (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office) "are crucial to Ukraine’s reform agenda and they must operate independently to fight corruption and to maintain public trust."
"Our current financial assistance to Ukraine is conditional on transparency, judicial reforms, (and) democratic governance. The same is true concerning Ukraine’s path towards EU accession that also will require strong capacity to combat corruption," the Commissioner added.
Controversial law restricting NABU
On July 22, the Verkhovna Rada passed draft law No. 12414, which significantly shifts the balance of power among Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions. The law notably increases the influence of the Prosecutor General’s Office over cases that were previously under the exclusive jurisdiction of NABU and SAP.
From now on, the Prosecutor General will have access to all case materials handled by NABU, will be able to issue binding instructions to detectives, and reassign jurisdiction over investigations.
The new provisions also strip the head of SAP of the right to be part of a team of prosecutors, effectively limiting their involvement in investigations.
Before the vote, anti-corruption agencies urged MPs not to support the bill. Amid growing concern, protests took place in Kyiv and several other cities. Nevertheless, on the evening of July 23, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law.
