European Commission Concerned about Corruption in Ukraine
The EU wants Ukraine to create of a special chamber to battle corruption.
Anti-corruption is the issue that most concerns the European Union in Ukraine, and the bloc insists Kyiv takes measures to battle graft, according to a top EU official.
The EU wants Ukraine to create of a special chamber to battle corruption, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today during the 19th Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv.
“The most important thing isn’t even the instrument, but the conviction that Ukrainian society has a desire to fight corruption,” Juncker said. “If you do not destroy corruption on all levels, investors will not come to Ukraine. This should be the most important fight.”
The creation of an Anti-Corruption Chamber in the court system would be enough, he added. Previously, the EU insisted that Ukraine create a special anti-corruption court.
On July 11, the European Council approved the ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. The approval process was a drawn-out saga that has already significantly altered Ukrainian history.
In November 2013, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych declined to sign the Association Agreement, sparking protests on Kyiv’s Independence Square. Several months later, Yanukovych was ousted in an event that has come to be known as the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s interim government subsequently recommitted the country to European integration.