EU threatens to stop Ukraine’s European integration over anti-corruption law
23 July 2025 13:43
The European Union is extremely dissatisfied with the newly adopted law No. 12414 on the subordination of NABU and SAPO to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The European Commission has already issued a clear warning to the Ukrainian authorities in this regard. This is stated in an articleby Yevropeiska Pravda, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the publication, it has information about a conversation between EU Commissioner for Enlargement Martha Kos and newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras Kachka regarding the scandalous law. on July 22, Kos told the Ukrainian side the European Commission’s clear position on the issue. Brussels believes that the document undermines the independence of the NABU and the SAPO, and violates the agreements set out in the Roadmap for the start of membership negotiations.
The European Commissioner emphasized that the EU views the adoption of this legislation as
“a rollback in the implementation of the seven EC recommendations that were a condition for Ukraine’s candidate status”.
It is worth noting that earlier the European Union officially recognized the regression in the “candidate reforms” only in relation to Georgia. Due to Tbilisi’s anti-democratic steps, Brussels suspended cooperation with Georgia as part of the accession procedure.
Kos reminded Kachka of possible similar consequences for Ukraine.
“This step will have serious consequences for the entire negotiation process on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Already, member states are commenting that it was the right move to take our time,”
– she said.
Other European sources contacted by the publication before the document was signed came to a similar conclusion: if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approves the law, it will automatically mean a pause in the process of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
As you know, Zelensky has already signed the document.
Although the screening of the final cluster is likely to be completed, it will be impossible to start full-fledged accession negotiations, the publication believes.
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What you need to know about draft law No. 12414
The draft law was initiated by MPs Maksym Pavliuk, Viacheslav Medyanyk, Oleksandr Bakumov, and Serhiy Minko.
The document was registered in the Verkhovna Rada on January 16, 2025. On April 29, the bill was adopted as a basis. On Tuesday, July 22, the law was adopted (263 MPs pressed the green button) and sent to the President of Ukraine for signature.
Officially, the document concerns amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code regarding the investigation of disappearances under special circumstances during martial law. But, according to MP Anastasia Radina, it has been amended to actually subordinate the NABU and the SAPO to the Prosecutor General.
In particular, the law gives the Prosecutor General the following powers
- access to all NABU cases and delegate this access to other prosecutors;
- provide written instructions to NABU detectives and change the jurisdiction of cases;
- to independently resolve disputes over jurisdiction and sign suspicions to top officials;
- exclusively decide who is part of the group of prosecutors, depriving the head of the SAPO of this right;
- to close investigations at the request of the defense.
On the eve of the adoption of the draft law, the SBU and the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that they had exposed Russian influence on the NABU. According to law enforcement officials, some of the Bureau’s employees are accused of treason, illegal trade with Russia, and working in the interests of oligarchs. At least 70 searches were conducted.
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