Ukraine's advance towards EU membership requires ongoing cooperation between the authorities and civil society, says Taras Kachka

The Ukrainian government and civil society must continue to foster systematic dialogue on the implementation of reforms on the path to EU membership. This will help to enhance the transparency, inclusiveness and sustainability of the process of adopting European integration decisions. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka during the event "Civil society as a driver of European integration reforms in Ukraine".

The event took place in Lviv on 10 December with the participation of European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, representatives of EU partner countries and civil society.

"The key element of Ukraine's candidacy for EU membership is structural reforms. During the screening and preparation of negotiating positions, we identified a comprehensive list of further commitments. In this process, we need maximum public consolidation. Because civil society in Ukraine is made up of key experts whose opinions are relied upon by both the Ukrainian Government and the European Union. There can be no politics in Ukraine without public participation, which is why our dialogue with the public sector is complex, lively, but indispensable. This is especially true in the areas of the rule of law, anti-corruption, and law enforcement reform, where we share a common agenda," Taras Kachka emphasised.

He also noted the unprecedented comprehensive support provided by the EU to Ukraine from the first day of russia's full-scale war against our country and thanked European partners for their unwavering solidarity.

European Commissioner Marta Kos emphasised that Ukrainian society is demonstrating exceptional strength, courage and resilience. She highlighted the ability of civil society to be a true ‘guardian’ of democratic processes at a time when traditional media no longer perform this function as effectively. She also noted that the role of civil society in Ukraine during the war is even more significant than in countries that have been on the path to the EU in peacetime. Despite shelling, destruction of energy infrastructure and enormous pressure, Ukrainian society continues to work and support the reform process. In her opinion, for the EU, Ukrainian civil society is not just an interested party, but one of the key partners in shaping policies, monitoring reforms and ensuring their effective implementation.

Marta Kos also emphasised that, for the first time in history, the European Commission has adopted a Civil Society Strategy that provides for the protection and support of civil society organisations and applies not only to Member States but also to candidate countries, including Ukraine.

During the event, participants also discussed the challenges in the interaction between public authorities and civil society in the process of European integration and implementation of EU recommendations, as well as the measures necessary for the sustainability of reforms.

In particular, one of the tools for engaging civil society organisations is independent public monitoring and the preparation of alternative reports to the European Commission's annual report on Ukraine's progress towards EU membership.

"Together with our partners, we have been working on a shadow report on negotiation chapters 23 ’Justice and Fundamental Rights‘ and 24 ’Justice, Freedom and Security‘, which are part of Cluster 1 ’Fundamentals of the EU Accession Process". This year, we have made progress, but we also face a number of challenges, particularly with regard to the prosecutor's office. Ukraine continues to implement the Comprehensive Plan for Reforming Law Enforcement Agencies, and Ukraine's strong civil society – especially those working in the field of the rule of law and anti-corruption – play a key role in monitoring and promoting these changes," said Yevhen Krapivin, Head of the Rule of Law Department at the Legislative Initiatives Laboratory, commenting on the results of the shadow report to the EU Enlargement Package.

At the end of the event, participants agreed that increased transparency, regular monitoring of reforms and open dialogue between the authorities, the European Commission and civil society organisations are key to ensuring the sustainability of reforms and public confidence in the European integration process.

Background information

Event organisers: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ukraine2EU Programme for Support of Ukraine's Integration into the EU and the NGO Public Initiatives Laboratory.