The European Commission has expressed deep concern over Ukraine’s adoption of legislation subordinating the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) to the Prosecutor General, with top EU officials requesting explanations from Kyiv.
This comes one day after parliament passed law #12414 on 22 July, which eliminated the independence of these anti-corruption institutions. President Zelenskyy signed the law the same day, despite public opposition, who came out to protest and call for the law to be vetoed.
European Commission (EC) spokesperson Guillaume Mercier told Ukrainska Pravda that the EC is “extremely concerned about the adoption of the draft that significantly weakens the powers of Ukrainian anti-corruption institutions.”
“Both institutions, NABU and SAPO, are widely considered cornerstones of the rule of law in Ukraine. They play a key role in Ukraine’s reform agenda and must be independent to fight corruption and maintain public trust,” Mercier said.
“Respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are fundamental principles of the EU. Ukraine as a candidate country is expected to fully comply with these standards. There can be no compromises here,” the spokesperson added.
Following the law’s passage, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen contacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing “strong concerns” and requesting explanations.
European Parliament Deputy Daniel Freund from the Greens party, who was in Kyiv when the law was adopted, called it “a clear breach of trust” and warned that “the Ukrainian government is jeopardizing the EU accession process.”
“The EU very much wants to help Ukraine. But it cannot continue to transfer money if the country is moving in the wrong direction,” Freund told Spiegel, according to European Pravda.
European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis emphasized that financial aid to Kyiv and its progress toward EU membership depend on the independence of anti-corruption institutions.
Ukraine’s response
Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka assured European Commission representative Gert Jan Koopman that reforms necessary for Ukraine’s EU accession “remain an unchanged priority, despite discussions around NABU and SAPO independence.”
Kachka informed about President Zelenskyy’s meeting with all heads of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies. He added that the government “takes issues related to anti-corruption very seriously” and is conducting “active work to collect and analyze opinions and positions of all stakeholders regarding the law.”