Ukraine presents key successes in rule of law and anti-corruption reforms at COELA meeting
On 14 October in Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka presented Ukraine’s key achievements in the field of rule of law and anti-corruption policy at a meeting of the EU Council’s Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the Union (COELA).
Taras Kachka emphasised the importance of the law adopted this year by the Verkhovna Rada on the creation of specialised district and appellate administrative courts. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, judges for these specialised courts will be selected with the involvement of international experts, which will strengthen trust in the judicial system. The new courts will handle administrative cases, including claims against the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and other higher executive authorities – thus ensuring effective oversight of the actions of state bodies.
The Deputy Prime Minister also highlighted positive progress in forming the composition of the Constitutional Court, specifically the President’s appointment of two judges to the Constitutional Court, which allows the Court to function fully.
The official informed attendees about the bills passed by Parliament last week on state regulation of business, oversight of local self-government bodies (another step in the decentralisation reform), and the creation of the Payment Agency, which is necessary for developing agricultural policy in line with EU standards. He separately noted the restoration of public broadcasts of Verkhovna Rada sessions, making parliamentary debates transparent.
Taras Kachka also emphasised that 2025 has been a year of fruitful work for key judicial institutions – the High Council of Justice (HCJ) and the High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ). This year alone, the HCJ has already submitted 57 candidates for judgeships to the President, with a total of 65 judges appointed by the President this year. The HQCJ is also actively working: 131 out of 141 candidates successfully passed the test for participation in the competition for positions as judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court and its Appellate Chamber.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed tangible progress in the anti-corruption sphere. He noted that, according to NABU data, 560 proceedings have been initiated since the beginning of the year, 149 individuals have been notified of suspicion, 97 indictments have been submitted to court regarding 212 persons, and the High Anti-Corruption Court has issued 64 sentences. At the same time, reforms of the Economic Security Bureau are underway – an ongoing re-evaluation of detectives and staff, as well as a competition for the head of ARMA with the involvement of international experts. Taras Kachka also emphasised that preparations are currently underway for the text of a new Anti-Corruption Strategy and programme for 2026–2030, which will take into account the recommendations of the European Commission.
Background
COELA (Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the Union) is the coordinating committee on law approximation, established within the structure of the Council of Europe. Its aim is to promote the harmonisation of national legislation of member states and partners with European standards in the fields of rule of law, human rights, and democratic governance. The Committee brings together representatives of governments of member states, observers, and Council of Europe experts, and discusses current progress in legislative reforms aimed at European integration.