Ukraine has fulfilled all four recommendations set forth by the European Commission to approve the framework for Ukraine's EU accession negotiations, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna told reporters at an anti-corruption event in Kyiv on March 11.
Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada gave its final approval on a lobbying bill on Monday that establishes definitions and rules for lobbying and involved subjects, bringing it closer in line with EU standards.
The bill also provides for the creation of a new transparency register run by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention and creates new mechanisms for lobbying monitoring.
In its November 2023 report, the European Commission - the EU's executive arm - recommended the launch of accession talks with Kyiv but noted that several reforms are still needed, including an additional four reforms Ukraine would have to undertake to complete all the criteria.
Kyiv previously completed three other recommendations provided by the Commission, including a staff increase of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, reopening the assets declaration registry, and implementing changes to national minorities law.
Ukraine is expecting the European Commission to present a negotiation framework for Kyiv's accession to the EU in the coming days.
"The European Commission has to make a decision on March 12, 13 and 14. First and foremost, whether to approve the report on our fulfilment of additional criteria, as well as decide whether to provide us with a negotiating framework for approval by the member states," Stefanishyna noted.
The European Commissions' Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis confirmed last week that the Commission will prepare a draft negotiation framework to be recommended for approval by EU members once Ukraine met all the requirements.
Martin Fornusek
