Becoming part of the European Union’s visa-free regime was a major victory for Ukraine. Now Ukrainians might lose it.
The EU provided a firm warning to Ukrainian lawmakers that in order for Ukraine to stay within the visa-free system, they must follow specific demands mentioned in a report released on Dec. 20. They must stop undermining the work of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office, as well as establish a special anti-corruption court.
Though the EU noticed some progress in Ukraine’s fight against corruption through NABU and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the independence of these structures remains as a major challenge.
“Maintaining and strengthening the independence as well as the effective functioning of NABU, SAP and the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) should be key priorities,” the report reads.
Recent public disclosure of NABU’s undercover investigations at the end of November by the General Prosecutor’s Office, the draft law that would put NABU under parliaments control and the lack of convictions in high profile corruption cases seriously undermine NABU’s capacity to effectively conduct investigations, the report reads.
Setting up an independent anti-corruption high court in full compliance with the Venice Commission advice would contribute to remedying these shortcomings, the EU Commission stated.
Since November, the Ukrainian government conducted several major attacks on anti-corruption institutions triggering a major backlash in the West.
On Dec.5, while NABU head Artem Sytnyk and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors office head Nazar Kholodnytskyi were representing Ukraine at the Global Asset Recovery Forum in Washington D.C., Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko criticized NABU, accused Sytnyk and his agency in violating the law showing lack of results in the investigation.
Artur Herasymov, head of the 136-member Poroshenko Bloc, and Maksym Burbak, chief of the 81-member People’s Front faction, on Dec. 6 submitted a bill that would allow Poroshenko and the Verkhovna Rada to fire NABU chief Artem Sytnyk without an audit of the bureau.
The EU is also deeply concerned about the government’s attempts to control anti-corruption activists.
“Increasing pressure on civil society, including through criminal investigations and physical attacks are additional worrying developments,” the report reads. “Legislative changes introduced in March requiring anti-corruption activists to submit electronic declarations equally raise serious concerns.”
Ukraine’s European partners were shocked by Ukrainian officials trying to undermine the already gained success in the fight against corruption, Isabelle Dumont, French Ambassador to Ukraine told in an interview to European Pravda news website on Dec.21.
“We still remember the young people giving their lives in 2014 for Ukraine’s right to be closer to EU,” Dumont said. “It was their sacrifice that led to EU’s declaration of being Ukraine’s ally, signing the association agreement and providing the visa-free regime.”
It’s been six months since Ukraine’s long-awaited visa-free regime with the EU finally came into force allowing Ukrainians to travel to the EU. Since then, more than 355,000 Ukrainians traveled to EU countries, according to Ukraine’s state border guards.
