Ukraine’s European integration: progress on reforms in rule of law discussed In Kyiv

On 13 May, a high-level event on the rule of law was held in Kyiv, bringing together representatives of public authorities, parliament, the judiciary, civil society, business community, and Ukraine’s international partners. 

The event – ‘Rule of Law Roadmap: One Year After Commitment’ – saw participants discuss progress in implementing the Roadmap, key challenges, and future priorities for reforms in the areas of justice, the fight against corruption and protection of fundamental rights. They also discussed the importance of the rule of law for economic recovery, investor confidence, and Ukraine’s progress towards European Union membership.

Particular attention was paid to the practical implementation of reforms, strengthening institutional capacity, and the need to ensure the sustainability of reforms in the middle of a full-scale war.

“Despite the full-scale war, Ukraine has not put reforms on hold. On the contrary, it is now that we are laying the necessary foundations as a future Member State of the European Union,” said Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine. “In this context, the Rule of Law Roadmap, which was adopted last year, is one of the key instruments in preparing Ukraine for EU membership. It is the ability of state institutions to work together to bring about real change in practice, maintain institutional stability, and strengthen trust of the society that will determine Ukraine’s further progress on the path to the EU.”

As part of the event, participants were addressed by Katarína Mathernová, Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine.

“Significant progress has been achieved in building and strengthening the anti-corruption institutions. Important work still lies ahead – including the adoption of key legislation and further strengthening of institutions through effective judicial practice. I am convinced that Ukraine will continue to take decisive steps in this direction,” Mathernová said.

The event was organised in cooperation with the EU project Pravo-Justice, implemented by Expertise France, and the ‘Strengthening Ukraine’s EU Accession in the Rule of Law’ (3*E4U) programme, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union.

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Press release