EU upbeat on Ukrainian integration

The European Union, in an official report, has positively assessed the steps taken by Ukraine in its implementation of the Association Agreement, which is bringing the country closer to being integrated into the bloc.

European Truth shared the statement with reference to the statement of the European Commission.

The report covers the country's implementation of reforms under the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement from the time the last report was published on December 1, 2020 to the start of the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.

"Despite the challenges, in particular coming from Russia, Ukraine has taken important steps in the implementation of the Association Agreement. The reforms carried out to date in this context allow Ukraine to confidently start a new phase of relations with the EU after the decision of the European Council to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate. Russia's illegitimate and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine will not prevent the EU from supporting the reform program in Ukraine," said Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign policy and security policy.

The EU report notes that Ukraine has been challenged by Russia's destabilizing actions, the war in the east and the coronavirus pandemic, but despite all this continues to prioritize association and further integration with the EU, and key reforms have gained new momentum.

In particular, the European Commission’s message describes in detail the positive developments and strategies in each sector of the country's system.

• Several positive developments have taken place in the sphere of justice, the rule of law and the fight against corruption, including the adoption of key laws aimed at reforming the High Council of Justice and restoring the High Qualifications Commission of Judges, the creation of the Bureau of Economic Security, and the adoption of the procedure for electing the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Among the important unresolved challenges are the urgent reform of the Constitutional Court and the election of a new head of the SAP. Another significant step in reforming the system of combating serious economic and financial crimes in Ukraine was the establishment of the Bureau of Economic Security (BEZ).

• In the field of public administration, the government of Ukraine adopted a new strategy in accordance with the principles of OECD and European public administration, and resumed public service recruitment on the basis of competition as well. At the same time, the government's intervention in the management of the state energy company "Naftogaz" caused concern regarding the reform of the corporate governance of state-owned enterprises.

• Ukraine's financial sector remained profitable despite the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, but cases at the Ukrainian National Bank raised concerns about central bank independence and banking supervision.

• In the energy sector, the Ukrainian wholesale electricity market continued to operate with some signs of distortions and market manipulation. At the same time, in March 2022, Ukraine achieved the strategic goal of connecting the Ukrainian energy grid to the continental European CEN network.

• In 2021, progress on environmental reforms was generally negligible. However, in the field of climate action, Ukraine has adopted and submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement and the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change. A dialogue between Ukraine and the EU regarding the EU's "green course" and Ukraine's green transformation was launched, and two extended working sessions were held in Brussels and Kyiv.

• Ukraine continues to make significant progress in the field of digital transformation. Ukraine adopted the law on the telecommunications regulator, which was an important step in bringing the legislation closer to the European one. Also, digital transformation has already contributed to more efficient and transparent public administration and the fight against corruption.

"The fourth report on the visa suspension mechanism dated August 4, 2021 concluded that, in general, Ukraine continues to fulfill the benchmarks of visa liberalization and has taken measures to implement the previous recommendations. However, further efforts are needed, among other things, in the areas of fighting corruption, money laundering, prevention and fight against organized crime," the European Commission reports.

In addition, it is noted that the European Union will continue to support Ukraine in its comprehensive reform program.