EU Commission 'Seriously Concerned' by Ukrainian Law Weakening Anti-Corruption Bodies

The European Commission expects Ukraine to fully comply with the standards of the rule of law and the fight against corruption, and compromises on these issues are impossible, said European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Ukrinform.

‘Respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are key elements of the European Union. Ukraine, as a candidate country, is expected to fully comply with these standards. There can be no compromise,’ the spokesman stressed.

The European Commission expressed serious concern over the adoption in Ukraine of amendments to legislation that ‘risk significantly weakening the competences and powers of Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions.’

The European Commission considers the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (SAPO) to be ‘cornerstones of the rule of law in Ukraine’ that ‘are crucial to Ukraine's reform agenda and must act independently to fight corruption and maintain public trust,’ the spokesperson stressed.

According to him, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the latest developments.

‘President von der Leyen expressed serious concern about the consequences of the changes and asked the Ukrainian authorities to provide explanations,’ Mercier said.

On 22 July, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law reducing the powers of NABU and SAPO, which was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the same day.

Representatives of the European Parliament also expressed concern about the restriction of the independence of NABU and SAPO.

As The Gaze reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened a high-level meeting with the heads of Ukraine's key law enforcement and anti-corruption institutions to address public concerns and reinforce the state's commitment to justice.