European Commission welcomes Ukraine's restoration of anti-corruption agencies' independence

The European Commission believes that Law No. 13533, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) on 31 July, has reinstated key safeguards for the independence of anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) – but has stressed that this is not the end of the process of anti-corruption reforms.

Source: European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier, as reported by European Pravda’s correspondent 

Quote from Mercier: "When it comes to today's vote, which has taken place just a few minutes ago in the Rada, the Rada has restored key safeguards ensuring the independence of the anti-corruption bodies. In our view, the new law addresses the key challenges of NABU and SAPO's independence."

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Details: Mercier added that the European Commission still needs to "check the final text, as it has just been adopted".

"Let me, however, underline that this is not the end of the process. Ukraine's accession will require continuous efforts to guarantee a strong capacity to combat corruption and to respect the rule of law," the European Commission spokesman emphasised.

Mercier stressed that the EU hopes that Ukraine will deliver on "those commitments swiftly and take decisive steps on the rule of law".

"We continue to follow the situation closely, and we remain available to support Ukraine in this process," he said.

Background:

• On 22 July, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) voted in favour of controversial bill No. 12414, which made NABU and SAPO dependent on the decisions of the prosecutor general.
• On 31 July, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law restoring powers to NABU and SAPO.
• Earlier, the European Union delivered a warning to Kyiv via diplomatic channels that unless the Ukrainian parliament fully revoked the provisions of law No. 12414, financial support would be suspended.

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