European Commission sends Rada list of 11 laws that could help Ukraine secure funding

Ukraine was offered an alternative to funding amid the blocking of the aid package by Viktor Orbán

The European Commission has proposed an alternative mechanism for Ukraine to receive up to €4 billion in funding: to secure it, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada must pass a package of 11 laws envisaged under the Ukraine Plan.

As reported by Censor.NET, this is stated in a letter from European Commissioner Marta Kos to Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, a copy of which is in the possession of European Pravda.

European Pravda verified the authenticity of the document with two independent sources.

What the letter says

In the detailed two-page letter, Commissioner Kos avoids mentioning Hungary’s veto on the start of allocating €90 billion in aid to Ukraine. (It is worth noting that parliament cannot influence the resolution of this issue).
However, she stresses that the Verkhovna Rada can help Ukraine obtain the necessary funding and proposes that parliament pass a list of 11 laws attached to the letter.

"These reforms help advance Ukraine on its path to membership and are part of the Ukraine Plan. Their effective and swift adoption will make it possible to mobilise up to €4 billion in funding for Ukraine," the European commissioner stresses.

All of these draft laws are part of Ukraine’s overdue commitments from last year, have passed the European Commission’s review, and are ready for adoption in the wording known to the relevant parliamentary committees. Some of them need to be passed as soon as possible so that the allocated funds do not lapse. The key feature is that, if they are passed, the allocation of the funds will not require unanimity in the EU, meaning Orbán will not be able to block them.

Marta Kos’s letter separately states that this time, not only funding is at stake. At a time when the Verkhovna Rada has sharply reduced its effectiveness, Ukraine is facing the need to demonstrate to EU member states its readiness to carry out reforms and remain among the leading candidate countries.

"Voting for these laws is, without exaggeration, seen as a test," one of European Pravda’s sources said.

Marta Kos’s letter also stresses that the EU expects the laws on the list to be passed at the next sittings scheduled for next week.

"The upcoming plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada in April offers an opportunity to move forward. Further progress will help maintain the momentum of reforms, bring Ukraine closer to EU membership, and deliver tangible results for the citizens of Ukraine. The adoption of these laws will also send a strong signal to all EU member states at this important moment about Ukraine’s unwavering commitment to implementing its reform agenda," the document says.

Which laws are the most important to pass

Among the package of 11 draft laws, Marta Kos separately highlighted the laws on the enforcement and digitalisation of court rulings, as well as on judges’ integrity declarations, which "will help strengthen trust in the justice system," along with amendments to the law on civil service, reforms in the energy sector, and reforms in the railway sector.

"I want to stress that these reforms are not only about EU accession: they bring real benefits to people and businesses in Ukraine," the European commissioner added.

Background

As reported earlier, the Hungarian prime minister is blocking a €90 billion loan for Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of deliberately blocking the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged as a result of Russian attacks.
On the eve of this, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, hinting at Orban, said that if the EU’s €90 billion loan in aid to Ukraine continues to be blocked, "the address of this person" will be given to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Hungarian government regarded the Ukrainian president's statement as an "open threat."
Orban said that Hungary would break through the Druzhba pipeline "blockade" "by force."
The Hungarian tax authorities confirmed the detention of seven Ukrainian citizens.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry advised citizens to refrain from traveling to Hungary.
A team from the National Bank of Ukraine is urgently traveling to Budapest over the detention of the cash collectors.
The Ukrainian National Police has launched an investigation.
The Hungarian government has stated that the seven Ukrainian cash collectors would be deported.
On the evening of March 6, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported the release of the seven Ukrainian cash-in-transit personnel detained in Hungary.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said that on the morning of 11 March, a group of Hungarian citizens entered Ukrainian territory without official status or any scheduled official meetings. President Zelenskyy said he was unaware of what the Hungarian delegation was doing in Ukraine.
Later, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Zelenskyy of lying and published a Hungarian diplomatic note indicating that Budapest had requested a meeting between Czepek and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
At the same time, the Foreign Ministry’s note shows that the Hungarian side had not coordinated its delegation’s visit to the Druzhba pipeline with Ukraine and had received proposals from Kyiv for alternative dates for the visit.