The European Parliament (EP) has encouraged the Ukrainian authorities to ensure the independence and continued work of key anti-corruption institutions, reiterating that delivering tangible results in the fight against corruption is essential.

This is outlined in the Justice, Freedom and Security section of the report on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine backed by the European Parliament. Rapporteur was Michael Gahler (Germany).

"Delivering tangible results in the fight against corruption is essential in order to maintain a high level of support for the reform process among citizens, as well as to improve the business environment and attract foreign direct investments," the EP said in the resolution.

The EP is concerned, however, by the outcome of the 27 October 2020 ruling of the Constitutional Court, which created a legal gap in the Ukrainian anti-corruption architecture and seriously weakened the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP).

"The EP urges the Ukrainian authorities to act as soon as possible to reinstate a fully operational, effective and comprehensive institutional architecture to fight corruption and stresses the importance of ensuring the independence of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) and other anti-corruption institutions," the MEPs said in the resolution.

The EP is pleased with the work of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and regrets attempts to attack and undermine anti-corruption institutions by members of the Verkhovna Rada, in particular attempts to dismiss the Director of NABU.

The EP welcomes the draft Anti-corruption Strategy for 2020-2024 and expects that the Verkhovna Rada will soon adopt this comprehensive strategy.

In addition, is deeply concerned by the high degree of systematic political pressure and by the acts of intimidation perpetrated against the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine and urges the Ukrainian authorities to refrain from exerting political pressure on independent economic institutions and enforcement authorities.

The EP urges Ukraine to ratify the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute and the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.