Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna stated that Ukraine is ready to present its reform roadmaps to representatives of European Union member states and the European Commission.
According to Ukrinform, this information was shared by the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration on Facebook following her participation in a special session of the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee.
In her address, Stefanishyna presented Ukraine’s key achievements in judicial reform, transparency, accountability, and overall progress within the negotiation process for EU accession.
“For Ukraine, reforms and the transformation of the state amid war are not only a reflection of our society’s aspirations, but also a vital necessity to ensure the state’s functioning. Ukraine is not only about war. It is, above all, about people, resilience, the ability to overcome challenges, and returning to the European family despite all difficulties. It is not only the Ukrainian government or President moving the country toward the EU, but the entire nation,” Stefanishyna emphasized.
She stated that Ukraine has completed and preliminarily adopted at the national level three strategic documents that outline the vision for the country’s transformation in the period leading up to EU membership.
“This vision is reflected in three roadmaps: on the rule of law, public administration reform, and the functioning of democratic institutions. In addition, we proposed an action plan for protecting the rights of persons belonging to Ukraine’s national minorities. This document was developed through extensive dialogue with minority representatives, while also addressing key issues raised by one of the EU member states. We are finalizing preparations to present these roadmaps to EU member states and the European Commission. Hundreds and even thousands of civil servants, experts, Ukrainian MPs, and colleagues from the expert communities of EU member states worked on these documents in coordination with the European Commission,” she noted.
She also stressed that major transformation efforts in these areas began well before Ukraine received its EU candidate status.
For instance, back in 2016, based on the recommendations of the Venice Commission, Ukraine transitioned from a four-tier to a three-tier judicial system, created a new Supreme Court and the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC), and significantly reformed the judicial governance institutions.
“In particular, the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission of Judges were formed in full compliance with European standards. Members of these bodies were selected through merit-based procedures aligned with international standards, ensuring independence, integrity, and professional competence. Additionally, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine was reformed with new qualification criteria and a transparent selection process involving international experts,” said Stefanishyna.
She also highlighted Ukraine’s high level of digitalization in public services, which has significantly reduced corruption risks.
“Over the past 10 years, Ukraine has built one of the most advanced anti-corruption systems among EU candidate countries – with a fully functional institutional system that includes the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the National Agency for Corruption Prevention, and the High Anti-Corruption Court,” Stefanishyna said.
“Since 2019, over 210 verdicts have been issued in high-level corruption cases involving nearly 300 individuals. Moreover, special confiscation of illicit assets has already returned more than 704 million hryvnias to the state, and this is only the beginning,” she emphasized.
As Ukrinform previously reported, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice Olha Stefanishyna stated that the reform roadmap documents on the rule of law and anti-corruption will soon be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers for consideration.
Photo: Olha Stefanishyna / Facebook
Source: Ukraine ready to present reform roadmaps to EU member states, European Commission – Stefanishyna
