Media learned details of European Commission's secret document on Ukraine
Photo: Media learned the details of the European Commission's secret document on Ukraine (Getty Images)
Journalists have found out that the European Commission considers four of the seven criteria for Ukraine to start negotiations on EU accession to be fully met, according to Radio Liberty.
According to the internal report, the following criteria are currently considered completed:
- introduction of legislation on the procedure for the selection of judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission;
- completion of the integrity check of candidates to the High Council of Justice and establishment of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine;
- compliance of anti-money laundering legislation with FATF standards and approval of a strategic plan for reforming the entire law enforcement sector;
- reform of the media sector – bringing Ukrainian legislation in line with the EU's Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD).
Remarks of the European Commission
To understand which criteria are considered not fulfilled in the EC report, it should be noted that in general, it was about 7 so-called criteria that are more like reforms. In simple terms, they are as follows: reform of the Constitutional Court; continuation of judicial reform; anti-corruption, including the appointment of the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office; fight against money laundering; implementation of the anti-oligarchic law; harmonization of audiovisual legislation with the European one; and changes in legislation on national minorities.
As for the anti-oligarchic law, the document states that "Ukraine still needs to adopt a law on lobbying in accordance with European standards." Concerning the reform of legislation on national minorities, the European Commission believes that not all of the comments set out "in the opinion of June 2023 and its subsequent opinion of October 2023" have been implemented, in particular, "the laws on the state language, media, and education" have not been amended.
In addition, the report states that "Ukraine should still adopt a law to increase the NABU's staffing and remove from the law on corruption prevention the provisions that limit the National Agency on Corruption Prevention's powers to continue verification of assets that have already been verified and limit the NACP's powers to verify property acquired by declarants before entering public service".
Ukraine's accession to the EU
Last year, Ukraine became a candidate for EU membership. However, in order to become a member of the EU, 7 conditions must be met. According to Reuters, Ukraine has fulfilled two of the seven conditions necessary to start negotiations on EU accession.
Earlier, Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, said that fulfillment of two conditions "is a very good result". She reminded that some countries in the Western Balkans "have been making progress for years to where we are, and the fulfillment of one recommendation is actually a national holiday".
It should be noted that on November 8, the European Commission is to publish a report on the progress of the EU accession candidates with a recommendation to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession.
