The European Union has voiced its concerns regarding the recent actions taken by the Ukrainian parliament towards the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), amidst the adoption of bill No. 12414.
Brussels is alarmed by the passing of this law.
European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier stated that the EU is seriously concerned about the latest developments.
This information was reported by NV from the EU representation in Ukraine.
Mercier emphasized that NABU and SAP are crucial for the reform agenda in Ukraine and must operate independently to effectively combat corruption and maintain public trust.
He further noted that the EU provides significant financial assistance to Ukraine contingent upon progress in transparency and democratic governance. Additionally, he asserted that Ukraine's accession to the EU will require strong capabilities to combat corruption.
“The EU will continue to monitor the situation and support Ukraine in upholding the rule of law,” added the European Commission.
Meanwhile, according to “European Truth,” Mercier stated that the EU is currently not considering suspending financial aid to Ukraine due to these actions.
“This issue is not under discussion at the moment,” Mercier remarked.
He explained that there are various control mechanisms in place regarding the financial support provided by the EU to Ukraine. “Preventive mechanisms exist, but we will see if we ever reach that point,” the spokesperson concluded.
NABU Director Semen Kryvonos stated that the passing of bill No. 12414 by the Ukrainian parliament essentially dismantles the anti-corruption framework.
This was reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
“A threat is being created for our country's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Two independent institutions – NABU and SAP – are being effectively made dependent,” he said at a briefing on July 22.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian parliament today adopted bill No. 12414, which experts believe grants the Prosecutor General the authority to interfere in NABU investigations.
The parliament voted 263 in favor of the controversial bill that could subordinate NABU and SAP to the Prosecutor General.
These amendments make the Prosecutor General the de facto head of SAP, allowing direct influence over NABU.
The new powers granted to the Prosecutor General include:
- access to any NABU case;
- closing investigations at the request of the defense;
- written obligations for the head of the pre-trial investigation body to submit materials;
- directing other prosecutors to verify compliance with laws during investigations;
- transferring NABU cases to other investigative bodies “in cases of ineffective pre-trial investigations or objective circumstances preventing the functioning of the relevant body”;
- delegating SAP prosecutor powers to other prosecutors;
- the Prosecutor General will directly oversee SAP prosecutors.
