During a working visit to Brussels (Belgium), the Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), Viktor Pavlushchyk, met with representatives of the European Commission (EC).
In particular, he met with Ville Itälä, Director General of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). Ukraine has recently joined the EU Anti-Fraud Program (UAFP), which has become an important step for Ukraine, in particular in the context of the approval of the Ukraine Facility Plan.
Mr. Itälä noted the effectiveness of OLAF's cooperation with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the Prosecutor General's Office, the State Audit Service and expressed interest in expanding the Bureau's cooperation with the NACP.
The NAPC Head, in turn, emphasized the importance of Ukraine's fulfillment of all its obligations in the European integration sphere in combating corruption and confirmed that the Agency remains a reliable partner in this activity, as well as outlined the priority areas of the NAPC's work. In particular, he noted the need to continue the consistent implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the State Anti-Corruption Program (SACP) until 2025, as well as to prepare the ground for the adoption of updated documents after the expiration of the current ones. Another important priority for the NACP is to analyze corruption risks in the most vulnerable areas.
The parties also discussed the importance of informing the public about the state of anti-corruption. Mr. Pavlushchyk briefed the participants on the Communication Strategy for Preventing and Combating Corruption developed by the NACP in cooperation with its partners and approved by the Government, noting that its implementation would contribute to these goals.
The Head of the NACP also discussed with European colleagues other priority areas of the NACP's activities, in particular, automation and simplification of the processes of declaring and verifying declarations of public officials, increasing the effectiveness of interaction with competent state bodies and institutions of other states in the exchange of information on assets. The parties agreed on further interaction and cooperation.
The working visit to the EC headquarters continued with a meeting with Gert Jan Koopman, Director General of the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations. Viktor Pavlushchyk, as the newly appointed Head of the NACP, expressed his gratitude to the European community for supporting Ukraine and the anti-corruption agencies in particular.
"The independence of the Agency and other anti-corruption bodies is the only way to defeat corruption, which is an indispensable prerequisite for Ukraine's further sustainable development. We express our gratitude for understanding, support and providing the necessary assistance to strengthen the NACP as the only body authorized to coordinate anti-corruption policy in the country," said the NACP Head.
The European colleagues heard the main priorities of the National Agency for the near future, including improvement of the declaration process; implementation of strategic planning and risk assessment; strengthening cooperation with international organizations. The parties agreed that these areas are extremely important for the NACP's proactive involvement in decision-making and anti-corruption policy making. They also discussed the importance of Ukraine's efforts in de-oligarchization, regulation of lobbying on the basis of integrity, and proper communication of anti-corruption measures to the public. 
Concluding the round of meetings in Brussels, the NACP Head met with Luc Pierre Devigne, Deputy Director-General for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
In view of the European Commission's recommendations for Ukraine under the EU Enlargement Package aimed at ensuring Ukraine's progress towards EU membership, the main focus of these recommendations is the fight against corruption and timely implementation of the State Anti-Corruption Program.
The NACP, as the main state body for anti-corruption policy making in Ukraine, will make every effort to implement measures to harmonize national legislation with EU legislation as part of Ukraine's accession, as well as to implement all anti-corruption measures of the Plan for Implementation of the European Commission's Recommendations presented in the Report on Ukraine's Progress in Implementing the EU Enlargement Action Plan until 2023.
The National Agency expresses its gratitude to the European Union for the assistance it provides to Ukraine. We appreciate that the EU stands with us in countering Russian aggression and supports our country's efforts to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Close cooperation with the EU and its institutions is crucial for the development of our institutional capacity, the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
