Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Vsevolod Chentsov met in Brussels with representatives of the EU Council of the EU Working Party on Enlargement (COELA) in Brussels and presented an update on Ukraine's progress in fulfilling its commitments as part of the EU accession negotiation process, particularly regarding legislative work, reforms in the area of the rule of law, and the fulfillment of obligations to protect the rights of national minorities.
"We are moving into the phase of practical implementation of a large body of commitments: every priority of the negotiation process at this stage must be translated into concrete legislative and governmental decisions. To this end, we are strengthening coordination between the Government and Parliament and continuing to work closely with the European Commission and member states," the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said, citing Chentsov, following Tuesday's meeting.
It is noted that 114 European integration bills were at various stages of consideration in the Verkhovna Rada, and the government and parliament are implementing a more systematic approach to working on them.
"Special attention was paid during the meeting to the implementation of reforms in the area of the rule of law. Ukraine is working on priority tasks covering, in particular, criminal proceedings, the independence and capacity of anti-corruption agencies, reform of the prosecutor's office, the selection of judges, the integrity of the judicial system, and anti-corruption policy," the statement reads.
The deputy prime minister said Ukraine is also continuing to work, in close cooperation with the European Commission, on meeting the interim benchmarks within the framework of the negotiation process.
Specifically, this involves the systematic coordination of reforms, monitoring their implementation, and the timely resolution of issues requiring additional attention.
Chentsov also briefed representatives of member states on Ukraine's fulfillment of its obligations regarding the protection of the rights of national minorities.
"The government has updated the relevant Action Plan, and the agreed steps call for the implementation of measures in the field of education by the end of 2026 and in the areas of language rights and political rights in 2027. Work is being carried out in consultation with representatives of national minorities, the European Commission, and member states," the statement reads.
