Ukraine’s European partners have expressed concern over changes to legislation that may affect the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP). Statements criticizing the changes were released by the diplomatic missions of Germany, the Czech Republic, and Sweden, emphasizing that protecting the independence of anti-corruption bodies is a crucial condition for Ukraine’s further movement towards EU membership.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Position of European Diplomats on Anti-Corruption Reform
The head of the German Foreign Ministry, Johann Wadephul, stated that limiting the independence of anti-corruption institutions complicates Ukraine’s path to the EU. He stressed the need for a continued consistent fight against corruption and spoke about his meetings in Kyiv with the heads of NABU and SAP.
“Limiting the independence of Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies complicates Ukraine’s path to the EU. I expect Ukraine to continue its consistent fight against corruption,” said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský emphasized that Prague is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine, and effective anti-corruption efforts remain a cornerstone of Kyiv’s European course. He reminded that EU support for Ukraine does not guarantee automatic decisions made by the Ukrainian authorities and drew attention to this from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
In turn, the Swedish Foreign Ministry expressed serious concerns about the impact of the new law on the independence of anti-corruption structures. The ministry’s statement noted that Ukraine has made significant progress in combating corruption over the past decade, and it is important to maintain this direction of reform. Sweden reaffirmed its support for Ukraine on the path to further transformations.
Earlier, the Dutch Foreign Minister, Kaspar Veldkamp, also noted that anti-corruption institutions are crucial for implementing reforms in Ukraine.
Protests and Official Reaction in Ukraine
Following the adoption of Bill No. 12414 by the Verkhovna Rada on July 22, which, according to experts and civil society representatives, limits the independence of NABU and SAP, mass protests took place in several cities across Ukraine. In particular, hundreds of people demanded the preservation of transparency and effectiveness of anti-corruption bodies in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa.
NABU head Semen Kryvonos appealed to the President of Ukraine, urging him to veto the bill, emphasizing that its adoption could “effectively destroy” the independence of NABU and SAP.
Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka assured that Ukraine will fulfill all commitments under the Transformation Roadmaps within the negotiations for EU accession.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Law No. 12414, stating that NABU and SAP will continue their activities but must be “cleansed of Russian influences.”
Amid the legislative changes, law enforcement agencies conducted about 70 searches of NABU employees on July 21. The Security Service of Ukraine reported the detention of one bureau employee suspected of espionage on behalf of the Russian special services. NABU added that information about potential risks with this employee had been received as early as August 2023, but the SBU had not found evidence of his guilt at that time.