Interagency Working Group on EU accession approves draft transformation roadmaps
On 5 May, the second meeting of the Interagency Working Group (IWG), tasked with overseeing Ukraine’s EU accession negotiation process and aligning Ukrainian legislation with EU standards, was held, chaired by Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine.
During the meeting, the IWG reviewed three documents – roadmaps covering the rule of law, public administration reform, and the functioning of democratic institutions. These strategic documents outline key reforms and transformations in their respective areas, as stipulated by Ukraine’s EU negotiation framework.
“Ukraine is already preparing and awaiting the necessary steps from our European Union colleagues to open the first negotiation cluster. From our side, all necessary prerequisites have been met. I want to stress that the strategic documents we are reviewing today were developed in record time. At every step, we worked closely with the European Commission, which enabled us to align positions and form a shared vision. I am grateful to everyone involved in drafting these critical documents; our joint efforts have already received high praise from our partners,” said Olha Stefanishyna, opening the meeting.
Oleksandr Korniienko, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, underscored the importance of irreversible reforms.
“The changes we are implementing do not happen overnight, but we are working on them systematically and continuously. Regardless of the pace of opening negotiation Clusters, we are moving forward, preparing legislative changes for Ukraine’s further integration into the European Union,” said Oleksandr Korniienko.
Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, highlighted the coordinated efforts of all branches of government in the European integration process.
“We are ready for any challenges. Ukraine has already demonstrated its ability to make political decisions. I am confident that we will soon receive the necessary decisions to continue advancing dynamically on the path of European integration,” emphasised Ihor Zhovkva.
Oleh Voitovych, Deputy State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and head of the working (negotiation) group on public administration reform, presented the “Public Administration Reform” roadmap. The “Rule of Law” and “Functioning of Democratic Institutions” roadmaps were presented by Liudmyla Suhak, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine.
“The draft roadmaps incorporate all our previous commitments,” noted the Deputy Minister, highlighting the intensive joint efforts of Parliament, the Government, the Office of the President, and civil society in developing the documents. “For the rule of law roadmap alone, 26 working meetings were held officially, with three rounds of consultations with European experts. The process involved 40 state authorities and 27 civil society organisations.”
Approval of the roadmaps on the rule of law and public administration reform is a prerequisite for opening EU membership negotiations with Ukraine, specifically Cluster 1, “Fundamentals.”
Viktor Yelenskyi, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, presented the Action Plan for protecting the rights of persons belonging to Ukraine’s national minorities (communities). The plan consolidates practical steps in areas such as combating discrimination and hate speech, increasing the use of minority languages in public life, education, and culture.
Oleksandr Ilkov, Director General of the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, outlined the next steps in Ukraine’s EU accession negotiation process and the operational specifics of the working groups. He noted the effectiveness of working (negotiation) groups as a tool for developing a shared vision and solutions.
Following the meeting, the Interagency Working Group approved the draft roadmaps for “Rule of Law,” “Public Administration Reform,” and “Functioning of Democratic Institutions,” as well as the draft Action Plan for protecting the rights of persons belonging to Ukraine’s national minorities (communities).
In addition to IWG members, the meeting was attended by heads of the working (negotiation) groups for the first cluster and members of parliament involved in the respective groups.
Background Information
The Interagency Working Group was established on 27 August 2024 to coordinate the negotiation process for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.