Ukraine fulfils 4 out of 7 EU criteria for European integration- report

The European commission will announce that Ukraine has fulfilled four of the seven recommendations that were given last year when Kyiv was granted candidate status, Radio Svoboda reported.

The report on EU enlargement, anticipated on Wednesday, will assess Ukraine’s progress on the path towards the bloc’s membership and likely recommend that the EU leaders endorse the start of accession negotiations later this year, according to a draft report seen by Radio Svoboda.

In particular, the EU’s executive deems that four criteria had been fulfilled by Ukraine:

• Implementation of legislation on the procedure for selecting judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission
• Completion of the integrity check of candidates to the High Council of Justice and establishment of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine
• Anti-money laundering legislation in line with FATF standards and approval of a strategic plan for reforming the entire law enforcement sector
• Reform of the media sector, bringing Ukrainian legislation in line with the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive

The European commission believes that Ukraine still needs to work on the other three criteria, according to the report, including fight against corruption, limiting the influence of oligarchs, and protection of the rights of minorities.

"Ukraine still needs to adopt a law to increase the NABU staffing and remove from the law on corruption prevention the provisions that limit the NAZK's powers to continue verification of assets that have already been verified and limit the NAZK's powers to verify property acquired by declarants before entering public service," reported Radio Svoboda.

In addition, the EU commission is expected to call on Ukraine to adopt a law on lobbying in line with European standards and implement all the Venice commission’s recommendations with regard to the reform of legislation on national minorities.

Discussions are currently underway on the conditions that Kyiv will need to fulfil, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported, citing a source.

The so-called enlargement package, which will contain these recommendations, is scheduled to be unveiled tomorrow, on 8 November.