European Commission Recommends European Council Grant Ukraine Status Of EU Candidate

The European Commission recommends the European Council grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union, but with conditions.

This was announced on Friday, June 17, by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"Yes, Ukraine deserves a European perspective," she said.

According to von der Leyen, Ukraine has already implemented 70% of the necessary reforms, according to the association with the EU. In its conclusion, the European Commission recommends granting Ukraine candidate status, but with conditions. In particular, in order to start Ukraine's negotiations on EU accession, the country must take a number of steps in the field of ensuring the rule of law and fighting corruption.

According to the head of the Office of the President Andrii Yermak, Ukraine must take the following steps:

• adoption and implementation of legislation on the procedure for selecting judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, including the process of preliminary selection based on an assessment of their integrity and professional skills, in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission;
• completion of the integrity check of candidates for members of the High Council of Justice and selection of candidates for the High Qualifications Commission of Judges of Ukraine;
• further strengthening of the fight against corruption, including at the high level;
• completion of the selection and appointment of a new director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NACB) and a prosecutor of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SACPO);
• ensuring compliance of anti-money laundering legislation with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF);
• adoption of a comprehensive strategic plan for reforming the entire law enforcement sector as part of Ukraine's security environment;
• "anti-oligarchic" law should start work;
• media legislation needs to be brought into line with European audiovisual legislation;
• it is necessary to complete the ongoing reform of the legislative framework for national minorities in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and develop mechanisms for its implementation.

As Ukrainian News Agency reported, France, Germany, Italy and Romania support granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for joining the European Union.

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