EU and Ukraine have unveiled plan of 10 key reforms for progress towards membership
European Commissioner Marta Kos and Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras Kachka presented Ukraine's agreed action plan to confirm its readiness to join the EU, which contains 10 key reforms in the areas of the rule of law, anti-corruption and the judicial system.
This plan is set out in a joint written statement by Kos and Kachka, which is available to "European Pravda", according to Censor.NET.
The plan complements the technical process of frontloading.
The document was made public after a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council, the main outcome of which was the launch of "frontloading" – a technical process that will allow preparations for the closure of negotiation chapters to begin even before Hungary lifts its veto on their opening.
In it, Ukraine and the EU "recall that EU enlargement is a geostrategic investment in a strong, stable and united Europe based on shared values, and that Ukraine can become an asset for an enlarged and more resilient European Union." Ukraine confirms its understanding that issues related to the rule of law and the fight against corruption are key to its accession to the EU.
"Looking ahead, and in line with this framework and the priorities identified by Member States, Ukraine is taking steps to further prioritise the implementation of the most relevant and effective measures over the next year," the document confirms, listing 10 key priorities.
- Adopt comprehensive amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and other legislation to ensure swift and high-quality justice (a separate list of amendments is provided here, namely: repeal of the "Lozovyi amendments" on the automatic closure of proceedings; extension of the statute of limitations and strengthening of the grounds for its interruption and suspension in corruption cases; strengthening the independence of NABU and SAPO and protecting their jurisdiction from circumvention and undue influence; extending the jurisdiction of NABU and SAPO to all high-risk positions).
- Ensure that NABU has effective access to impartial, timely and high-quality forensic expertise.
- Conduct a comprehensive review of the procedure for selecting and dismissing the Prosecutor General.
- Resume the selection process for the appointment and transfer of prosecutors to senior and other prosecutorial positions in the Prosecutor General's Office and in regional and district prosecutor's offices.
- Reform the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI)
- Appoint, without delay, judges to the Constitutional Court and members of the High Council of Justice who have passed international vetting.
- Expand the involvement of international experts in the competition commission for the High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ).
- Adopt a draft law on declarations of integrity for judges. For the Supreme Court, this includes the temporary involvement of independent international experts.
- Adopt an Anti-Corruption Strategy and State Anti-Corruption Programme by the second quarter of 2026.
- Develop and strengthen high-level internal anti-corruption control systems.
The implementation of these 10 points is critical to the success of Ukraine's accession process
Responding to a question from "European Pravda", Marta Kos explained that all these points must be fulfilled for Ukraine's EU accession process to be successful. "This is not a new plan... We have identified these 10 points as priorities, so there is a lot to be done in the accession process," she said.
As a reminder, earlier in Lviv, at an informal meeting of the EU General Affairs Council, the launch of a new format of technical negotiations with Ukraine was announced, which is not subject to the Hungarian veto.
