The Interagency Working Group, which ensures the negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the European Union and the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to EU standards, has approved draft roadmaps in the areas of the rule of law, public administration reform and the functioning of democratic institutions. These are strategic documents that define key reforms in the respective areas and are envisaged by the negotiation framework between Ukraine and the EU.
The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) coordinated the preparation of the Rule of Law Roadmap in the section on Combating Corruption, which envisages the implementation of measures in five areas: anti-corruption policy, prevention of corruption, prosecution of corruption, audits of specialised anti-corruption bodies, and anti-corruption mainstreaming.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC), other bodies within their competence, as well as MPs, representatives of civil society and international technical assistance projects were involved in the development of the draft Rule of Law Roadmap in the section on Combating Corruption.
‘Ukraine has created an effective anti-corruption infrastructure, introduced human rights protection mechanisms and strengthened law enforcement tools. However, many challenges remain, and further changes are needed. The roadmap measures are designed to fill the existing gaps, ensure the sustainability of the reforms already implemented and lay a solid foundation for the development of the legal system in line with European standards. These measures are not only a commitment to the European integration process, but also part of a broader national strategy to strengthen legal institutions, ensure fair justice and promote law and order. The anti-corruption measures are correlated and reinforce the measures envisaged by the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the State Anti-Corruption Programme. This synergy should lead to fundamental and irreversible changes on the way to building Ukraine as a state governed by the rule of law,’ said NACP Head Viktor Pavlushchyk.
The Anti-Corruption Policy Division is aimed at implementing the current Anti-Corruption Strategy and the State Anti-Corruption Programme, developing new documents for 2026-2030, and ensuring effective coordination, monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation. Key initiatives include a comprehensive analysis of the most corruption-affected areas, which will form the basis for new strategic documents aimed at strengthening the anti-corruption system in general and reducing corruption in critical sectors: judiciary, law enforcement, defence, customs and taxation, construction and reconstruction, subsoil, land and agriculture, healthcare, education and science.
The Prevention of Corruption section covers six areas, including: bringing legislation in line with EU, GRECO, OECD, and UNCAC standards; ensuring the NACP's independence and capacity; strengthening the regulation of conflicts of interest; expanding financial control by involving new categories of declarants; introducing a transparent lobbying mechanism; and strengthening whistleblower protection in line with EU Directive 2019/1937.
The subchapter on ‘Accountability for Corruption’ focuses on strengthening the independence, effectiveness and accountability of the NABU, SAPO, and HACC, providing adequate resources, legislative changes to improve the efficiency of court proceedings, expanding the powers of the SAPO on international cooperation and autonomous wiretapping for the NABU.
Significant legislative changes are planned to ensure that top officials are held accountable for corruption-related offences. The section ‘Audits of Specialised Anti-Corruption Agencies’ provides for independent audits of the NABU, the SAPO, and the NACP. The focus of the Anti-Corruption Mainstreaming unit is to reduce corruption risks in sectoral policies, in particular by limiting non-competitive procurement and strengthening integrity standards in public procurement.
For reference
The Interagency Working Group was established on 27 August 2024 to coordinate the negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Olha Stefanishyna, Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine chair it.
The Roadmap for the Rule of Law is a strategic document that defines a set of reforms within the framework of Ukraine's EU membership negotiations under the negotiating Title 23 ‘Judiciary and Fundamental Rights’ and Title 24 ‘Justice, Freedom, and Security’. The document contains a wide range of measures aimed at strengthening legal institutions, further improving the judiciary, enhancing the effectiveness of anti-corruption policy, improving human rights protection, and strengthening security and law enforcement.
The draft Roadmap is based on the provisions necessary to ensure full compliance of Ukrainian legislation with EU law, as well as international obligations and recommendations of reputable institutions. The document is based on the conclusions of Ukraine's Progress Reports under the EU Enlargement Package (2023-2024), assessments under the OECD Istanbul Action Plan (2024) and the Fourth GRECO Round (2023), as well as the provisions of the Ukraine Facility (2024-2027) and the IMF Programme, etc. The drafting process took into account the European Commission's analysis of the implementation of anti-corruption policy in Ukraine, recommendations of civil society (in particular, CPLR, TI Ukraine, ACREC), the Shadow Report to Chapter 23, as well as the results of three rounds of consultations with the European Commission, which provided additional substantive recommendations.
Ukraine is now awaiting the necessary steps from the European Union to open the First Negotiating Cluster, as all the necessary preconditions for this decision have been met.
