Ukraine has made "limited progress" in fight against corruption – European Commission report
The European Commission’s report on Ukraine’s progress toward the European Union underscores that Kyiv has made "limited progress" in combating corruption.
This is stated in the EC document, according to Censor.NET.
Stagnation in corruption-crime investigations
Brussels noted that the specialized anti-corruption bodies (NABU, SAPO, HACC) continued to carry out their mandates and improve performance, while other law-enforcement bodies showed stagnation in investigating corruption offenses.
In its report, the European Commission assesses each policy area on a five-level readiness scale:
- "early stage";
- "some level of preparation";
- "moderately prepared";
- "good level of preparation";
- "well advanced."
Accordingly, in the "fight against corruption" area, the European Commission rated Ukraine at the second level — "some level of preparation."
Pressure on anti-corruption bodies
In particular, the European Commission recalled that in July, the Verkhovna Rada attempted to strip anti-corruption bodies of their independence.
It stressed that the legislative initiative could have significantly weakened Ukraine’s anti-corruption system, although the independence of NABU and SAPO was quickly restored following public protests and serious concerns from partners.
Such developments "cast doubt on Ukraine’s commitment to its anti-corruption agenda."
Recommendations
The EU added that Kyiv should "improve its anti-corruption system and prevent any backsliding from its significant reform achievements."
"Procedural delays and obstacles in high-level corruption proceedings should be addressed. Statutes of limitations and the grounds for their interruption and suspension should be reviewed and adjusted in line with European standards," the report says.
