Ukraine to receive €4 billion from EU as Zelenskyy signs important law
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law on plea bargaining in corruption cases, thereby fulfilling one of the conditions for Ukraine to receive a tranche from the European Union, according to the Verkhovna Rada website.
Law No. 12039 was returned to parliament with the president’s signature just two days after it was passed in the second reading.
With the introduction of plea agreements, courts in Ukraine can now sentence individuals involved in corruption to shorter prison terms than stipulated by the Criminal Code. The agreement requires those convicted to expose accomplices and compensate for damages.
These provisions do not apply to organizers of criminal schemes. A reduced sentence is only possible for them if they disclose another organizer.
€4 billion from the EU
The European Union plans to allocate €50 billion to Ukraine by 2027 under the Ukraine Facility program. To access these funds, Kyiv must meet a set of conditions.
One of the conditions for receiving a €4 billion tranche this year was the adoption of a law on plea bargaining in corruption cases by the end of October. The law also required the president's signature within this period.
On October 29, the law was passed in the second reading with the support of 263 MPs.
If the law had not been finalized within the specified timeframe, the disbursement of the €4 billion would have been postponed to the following year.
