The European Commission has praised the work of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions and stressed the importance of their independence on the country’s path towards European integration.
European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier said this at a briefing in Brussels.
“We are indeed aware of the latest developments, but, as you know, we do not comment on individual proceedings,” the spokesperson said when asked about the Prosecutor General serving a notice of suspicion on the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
He reaffirmed the EU’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
“Fighting corruption is a central element for any country wishing to join the EU. This requires continuous efforts to ensure a strong capacity to fight corruption and money laundering through effective prevention, investigation and prosecution, as well as to ensure the rule of law,” Mercier said.
He stressed that independent anti-corruption bodies are a “cornerstone” of the rule of law in Ukraine.
The spokesperson said the EU would continue to assess Ukraine’s rule-of-law reforms, including improvements to the selection process for prosecutors, as part of the requirements under the Fundamentals cluster in EU accession negotiations and the list of 10 priority reforms agreed with the European Commission.
In this context, Brussels expects the Ukrainian authorities to continue this work “consistently and effectively”.
The fact that anti-corruption proceedings involving senior officials are taking place demonstrates that the relevant institutions in Ukraine are functioning, the spokesperson noted.
“In this sense, it shows the authorities’ commitment to doing this work and that the appropriate system is in place to do so,” Mercier stressed.
