Ukraine ready to take further legislative measures to ensure EU standards compliance – Kachka
Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka and Director General of the European Commission's Directorate for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Gert Jan Koopman discussed the situation with the law that limits the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).
"Had a frank conversation with Gert Jan Kopman. Informed about the situation around Law 12414 and emphasized Ukraine's strong interest in resolving the situation with NABU/SAPO in a transparent manner," Kachka wrote on the social network X on Wednesday.
He added that Ukraine is ready to take further legislative measures to ensure compliance with EU standards.
"We continue to collect expert opinions. I emphasized plans to meet with the negotiating team on Chapter 23 to hear their expert opinions. Ukraine is ready for further steps - trust and open dialogue with the EU are key," he added.
As reported, on July 22, the Verkhovna Rada limited the independence of the NABU and the SAPO. Some 263 people's deputies voted for the relevant bill No. 12414 on amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code regarding the features of pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses related to the disappearance of missing persons under special circumstances under martial law in the second reading and in general. In particular, the amendments to the bill empower the Prosecutor General to: be the de facto head of the SAPO and delegate the powers of the SAPO prosecutor to other prosecutors, provide NABU with mandatory written instructions and request materials of any cases, transfer requested cases to any prosecutors and transfer the investigation of cases that fall under the jurisdiction of the NABU to other bodies.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos expressed concern about the Council's vote on the draft law, noting that it was a "serious step backwards".
She also stressed that the rule of law remains at the heart of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations. Later, after a conversation with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Kachka, Kos stated that the EU would continue to work "with Ukraine on the necessary reforms in the area of the rule of law and progress on the path to the EU."
In turn, Deputy Prime Minister Kachka assured Kos that Ukraine's reform agenda and commitments to join the European Union remain fully valid.
European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andris Kubilius, commenting on the events in Ukraine, stated that trust between a warring country and its leadership in war is more important than modern weapons - it is difficult to build and maintain, but easy to lose due to one significant leadership mistake.
