EU ambassador: Restoration of asset declarations must be next step in Ukraine's EU path

‌‌Head of the European Union Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas said Ukraine must restore the online asset declarations for government officials.

The statement comes after the European Commission ruled that Ukraine completed only two of the seven requirements needed for Ukraine to start accession talks.

‌‌"Over the last year, Ukraine's achievements on its EU path have been admirable. Now, let's focus on completing the few outstanding things by autumn. Some concern the political class as a whole, like restoration of the asset declarations," the official wrote on his Twitter on June 23.

‌‌According to him, asset declarations' restoration would be a good test case for the real anti-corruption commitment.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian authorities allowed officials not to file online asset declarations and shut down public access to all previous declarations.

‌‌Officials will only have to resume submitting asset declarations within three months after the end of the war.

‌‌Civic watchdogs say that Ukraine's asset declaration system, a key pillar of the anti-corruption infrastructure, has been effectively destroyed, with martial law used as a pretext by corrupt officials.

‌At the same time, fighting corruption is one of the key requirements for Ukraine's accession to the EU. Ukraine officially became an EU candidate in June 2022. However, to formally begin accession talks, Kyiv must complete seven recommendations.

‌‌The conditions include judicial and anti-corruption reforms, implementing the anti-oligarchic law, establishing transparency of media ownership and equal media market conditions, and drawing legislation on national minorities per EU principles.

‌‌By now, the two steps — the judicial system reform with the creation of the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission and bringing media legislation into full compliance with the EU directive — declared to be fully completed. Ukraine wants to be able to implement the remaining requirements by October.