PM Shmyhal: Ukraine fulfills 3 of 4 EU's additional recommendations
Ukraine has fulfilled three of the four additional recommendations presented by the European Commission in November 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Jan. 19.
The fourth point, a bill on lobbying, has been approved by the parliament in the first reading, the prime minister noted during a government meeting.
In its November assessment, the EU's executive arm acknowledged Ukraine's progress toward membership, saying that "well over 90% of the necessary steps that we set out last year" were completed.
Nevertheless, the Commission presented four additional reforms Ukraine should undertake to complete all steps fully.
Kyiv has already completed three of them, including a staff increase of the NABU, one of the country's chief anti-corruption agencies, reopening the assets declaration registry, and implementing changes to national minorities law.
The European Council acknowledged Ukraine's reform efforts as well, agreeing to start accession talks during a summit in December.
"In addition, without waiting for the decision of European partners, the government launched the so-called self-screening of Ukrainian legislation for compliance with European law," Shmyhal said, according to his Telegram channel.
Legislation screening is one of the necessary preparation steps for the accession negotiations. Shmyhal said that around 2,800 EU legal acts need to be implemented as part of the admission process.
During a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Jan. 16 in Davos, the two leaders agreed to start the screening process.
Shmyhal further said that in 2024, Ukraine will approve the National Program for the Adaptation of Ukraine's Legislation to the Law of the European Union.
