Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, discussed with Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Budget and Administration, the establishment of an effective system of interaction between Ukrainian and European bodies to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of funds.

The European Commissioner was also accompanied by Ville Itälä, Director General of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and Marek Opioła, Member of the European Court of Auditors.

The participants welcomed the signing of the administrative agreement between the State Audit Service of Ukraine and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). At the same time, along with the expansion of cooperation, the Deputy Prime Minister and the European Commissioner agreed on the importance of establishing a clear mechanism for coordinating cooperation that would cover all the agencies involved.

“We are facing ambitious tasks to rebuild Ukraine and integrate it into the European Union. And we understand how crucial a clear coordination system on the Ukrainian side is to attract the necessary financial resources. It is very important for me to coordinate further actions with you, which should result in an effective mechanism of cooperation and the establishment of close, trusting relations between Ukrainian and European authorities,” said Olha Stefanishyna.

Participants noted that an effective mechanism for auditing and monitoring the use of funds would be essential for further mobilisation of resources to support Ukraine, especially in the context of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

In this context, Olha Stefanishyna noted that her priorities as Chair of the Interagency Coordination Council on countering violations affecting the financial interests of Ukraine and the EU include strengthening the institutional capacity of Ukrainian authorities and stressed the importance of the European Commission’s support for these efforts.

The Deputy Prime Minister also informed the European colleagues about the progress in implementing the seven recommendations of the European Commission on Ukraine’s EU membership status, with a detailed focus on the anti-corruption area.

The official emphasised that the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and the head of the High Anti-Corruption Court had been appointed.

“Ukraine is actively developing its anti-corruption infrastructure. We also see good dynamics in the actual performance of these institutions,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

She also recalled that Ukraine’s progress in fighting corruption was recognised by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), which approved a report in March confirming that Ukraine was making steady progress in implementing its anti-corruption recommendations.