The European Commission has published a report on Ukraine’s progress towards EU accession
The European Commission has published its annual enlargement report, which notes Ukraine’s commitment to joining the European Union and progress in implementing key reforms, despite the war. At the same time, the document emphasizes the need for “further and sustained progress” in the fight against corruption, and also draws attention to cases of alleged pressure on civil society activists.
The European Commission emphasizes that the country continues to demonstrate “extraordinary resilience and commitment to its European path” despite the escalation of the war by Russia. The report emphasizes Ukraine’s “strong commitment to its European future”. The most successful areas include public administration reform, especially in the areas of service provision and digitalization, as well as economic criteria and integration into the customs union.
At the same time, the European Commission notes that the fight against corruption remains an “area of particular concern” and calls for “remaining firm commitment to implementing anti-corruption measures in the area of the rule of law”. The report refers to “growing pressure from state institutions” on anti-corruption bodies and civil society organizations, in particular through criminal investigations.
Judicial reform also remains a problem area, due to staff shortages and excessive burden on the system. The document states that the position of the Prosecutor General remains politicized, and the integrity of the judiciary is weak.
“This year’s report confirmed that Ukraine has made significant progress on its path to membership in the European Union. We received the best score since 2023, and it reflects the results of systemic reforms implemented despite all the challenges of the war. We are also grateful to our European colleagues for the recommendations provided, which we are ready to implement qualitatively and in close cooperation with all parties involved and the European Union“, – commented Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka.
