Anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine are functioning, the European Commission responded to a question about the corruption scandal in Kyiv. Brussels emphasized that the fight against corruption is a key condition for the country’s accession to the European Union.
An investigation into the corruption scandal in Ukraine shows that anti-corruption bodies are operating in the country and they are functioning, representatives of the European Commission (EC) stated at a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, November 13, in response to a question about whether the corruption scandal in Ukraine means that the issue of Ukraine's accession to the European Union is off the agenda.
"The fight against corruption is central to our EU enlargement package, which defines the overall position on this issue. I want to emphasize that the fight against corruption is a key condition for a country to join the EU. It requires constant efforts to effectively combat corruption and uphold the rule of law. Therefore, the role of independent anti-corruption bodies, which are the cornerstone of the rule of law in Ukraine as a future EU member state, must be protected. The Commission will continue to monitor the situation," the representatives of the European Commission indicated.
The Particular Importance of the Fight Against Corruption
"It is important to emphasize that the investigations being conducted in Ukraine show: anti-corruption work and relevant institutions in this country do indeed exist and fulfill their purpose - to combat corruption. This is undoubtedly an area that we pay special attention to, including in the context of the EU accession process," the representatives of the press service added.
They also noted that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is "in regular, very frequent contact with President Volodymyr Zelensky." EC representatives stated that they could not confirm whether there had been contact specifically in this context (referring to the corruption scandal in Ukraine - Ed.), but emphasized that von der Leyen and Zelensky "talk very often and on a regular basis."
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) reported this week on the exposure of a large-scale corruption scheme in the state company "Energoatom."
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