Ukraine's government approves key draft laws to meet EU's critical recommendations
The Cabinet of Ministers [Ukraine's government – ed.] approved draft laws, the adoption of which will mean the immediate implementation of two of the four key recommendations provided to Ukraine by the European Commission in its report.
Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska informed about this on Facebook.
"To implement the decisions reached at yesterday's European integration meeting chaired by Volodymyr Zelensky, the Government has just approved two draft laws: increasing the number of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) employees by 300 (in stages, by one hundred in each of the following years); exclusion of certain provisions from the law on the prevention of corruption, which reduce the effectiveness of the asset declaration mechanism. Adopting these two draft laws will mean implementing two of the four key recommendations given to us by the European Commission in its report on enlargement at once," said Maliuska.
He added that government officials will ask people's deputies and the specialized committee to consider these initiatives in order of priority.
"If I'm not mistaken, there is already a draft law similar in content and spirit to NABU, and the government's will be an alternative one," the minister added.
Also, according to him, "among the government's super top priorities by the end of the year: strengthening the capacity (autonomy) of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, criminalizing smuggling, improving the process of selecting judges."
"All hopes for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine [Ukraine's parliament – ed.], which demonstrates extraordinary efficiency and, I am convinced, will demonstrate it at least five more times before the end of the year!" Maliuska emphasized.
For reference:
On November 8, the European Commission officially recommended that the EU states start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
At the same time, the EC presented a report on Ukraine's progress in 2023 with further recommendations. Among them is the need to implement all the recommendations of the Venice Commission regarding national minorities, namely to make some changes to the legislation on the state language, mass media, and education.
In turn, the Hungarian government also threatens to block the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, claiming that the rights of Hungarians in Ukraine are being violated.
In addition, the head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Peter Szijarto, said that Ukraine's accession to the European Union. At the same time, the war there continues, will bring war to the EU, "which, obviously, no one wants."
EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said at the end of the meeting of EU foreign ministers that Ukraine is a top priority and the EU will not tire of its support obligations.
