Investigation in Ukraine's energy sector shows anti-corruption bodies are functioning - European Commission
The anti-corruption investigation in Ukraine’s energy sector demonstrates that the established anti-corruption bodies are functioning, and the fight against corruption is key to joining the European Union.
A corresponding comment on the recent events in Ukraine, in particular, on the NABU investigation into a corruption scheme in the energy sector, was provided on Thursday in Brussels by the European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier.
"This investigation shows that the anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine are established and functioning. The fight against corruption is a central theme of our enlargement package, which contains a common position on this issue. Let me emphasize that the fight against corruption is key to the country’s accession to the EU," he said.
Mercier stressed that this "requires continued efforts to guarantee a strong capacity to fight corruption and respect for the rule of law." "Therefore, the role of these independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of the rule of law in Ukraine as a future member state, must be protected. The Commission will continue to monitor the situation," he added.
In turn, the European Commission’s chief spokesperson Paula Pinho continued, saying that "it is important to underline that these investigations that are being carried out in Ukraine show that anti-corruption work and institutions exist precisely to fight it." "And this is an area that we pay particular attention to also in the context of the accession process," she noted.
Asked whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had contacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on this issue, Pinho said that the presidents were in constant contact, but whether they had contacted specifically on this issue was not known to her.