European Commission submits list of 11 laws to Rada to get EUR 4 billion bypassing Orbán's veto

On Tuesday, March 31, it became known that Brussels has found an alternative way to provide financial assistance to Kyiv, which will unblock funds bypassing the veto of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. It was reported by European Pravda.

European Commissioner Marta Kos sent an official letter to the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk with a list of 11 critical bills. The adoption of this package of reforms envisaged by the Ukraine Plan program will allow Ukraine to quickly attract up to EUR 4 billion of budget support. A key feature of this mechanism is that the disbursement of funds after fulfillment of the conditions will not require unanimous voting of all EU members, making a Hungarian blockade impossible.

In her address, Marta Kos emphasized that these reforms are not only a prerequisite for funding, but also a powerful signal of Ukraine's readiness to remain a leader among the EU candidate countries.

"These reforms contribute to Ukraine's progress towards membership and are part of the Ukraine Plan. Their effective and prompt adoption will allow Ukraine to attract up to EUR 4 billion in financing. The upcoming plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada in April provides an opportunity to move forward and will send a strong signal of Ukraine's unwavering commitment to its reform program," she said.

Among the priority documents in the package are laws on the digitalization of court decisions, judicial integrity, changes in the civil service, as well as reforms of the energy and railway sectors.

Sources in diplomatic circles call the upcoming vote a "test" for the Ukrainian parliament, as some of the projects are overdue commitments from last year. It is important to approve them already at the next meeting in April so that the allocated funds do not "burn out."

Beyond the financial aspect, the implementation of these 11 steps should strengthen the confidence of EU member states in Ukraine's ability to carry out transformations even in times of war, bringing real benefits to citizens and businesses. Now, it depends on the efficiency of the Verkhovna Rada's work whether the country will have time to take advantage of this financial window of opportunity at a critical moment.

We would like to remind you that Ukraine's financial stability is under threat: the available funds for the military operations and government payments may be enough only until the beginning of summer.