European Pravda has learned about the content of talks between European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and new Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras Kachka regarding the restriction of the powers of Ukraineʼs anti-corruption agencies.

Source: article by European Pravda (English translation coming soon)

Details: European Pravda has learned that on 22 July, Kos informed Kachka that the European Commission is firm in its conclusions regarding Law 12414: it not only undermines the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), but also contradicts the commitments set out in the Roadmaps that Kyiv and Brussels agreed on in preparation for membership negotiations.

Kos said the European Union also views the passing of this law as a setback in implementing the seven European Commission recommendations that were a condition for Ukraine’s candidate status.

So far, the EU has only officially acknowledged a setback in Georgia’s candidate reforms. Brussels put a freeze on cooperation with Georgia within the accession process in response to the anti-democratic turn Tbilisi has taken.

Marta Kos reminded Kachka of this.

She said such actions would have serious consequences for the entire negotiation process regarding Ukraine’s accession to the EU, and that some member states have already expressed the opinion that it would have been better not to rush into opening the first cluster.

All the other EU sources European Pravda spoke to before the law was signed came to the same conclusion: if Volodymyr Zelenskyy signs the law (which he has now done), he is also signing off on the suspension of Ukraine’s EU accession process.

The screening of the last cluster may be completed, but meaningful membership negotiations will be impossible.

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