**EU Expresses Concern Over Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Law**
The European Union has privately warned Ukraine that its new law curtailing the independence of anti-corruption bodies undermines the country’s EU membership aspirations. This warning comes from undisclosed EU sources, as reported by European Pravda on July 23.
According to the report, EU officials are alarmed over the legislation, which grants the prosecutor general sweeping powers over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The bill prompted widespread protests across Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s lawmakers pushed through the legislation on July 22, and it was signed by the president the same day.
The EU Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, reportedly tried to dissuade Kyiv from adopting the legislation. She spoke with Ukraine’s new deputy prime minister for European Integration, Taras Kachka, warning that the move would violate commitments tied to Ukraine’s candidate status and derail preparations for formal EU accession talks.
**EU Accession Talks on Hold**
Kos expressed “serious concerns” over the law during a meeting with Kachka and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. She also said publicly that the step is a setback not only for opening the first negotiations cluster but also for implementing the seven EU recommendations, which are a condition for Ukraine’s candidate status.
The EU was planning to use a technical loophole to circumvent Hungary’s veto and start the talks on the first accession cluster on July 18. However, this plan has not come to pass due to internal EU reasons. Some European officials believe that Zelensky’s approval of the law could “freeze” Ukraine’s accession process, and some think that EU accession is no longer a priority for Kyiv.
**Ukraine Reassures Brussels**
Following an online meeting with EU Commission official Gert Jan Koopman on July 23, Kachka sought to reassure Brussels that European integration remains Ukraine’s top priority. He stated that European integration transformations remain a priority and that Ukraine will continue to implement measures aimed at achieving the goals set out in the document.
**Critics Say Law Undermines Anti-Corruption Efforts**
Critics say the new law reclassifies NABU and SAPO as ordinary law enforcement bodies, giving the prosecutor general authority to interfere in investigations, issue procedural orders, and block corruption cases. Zelensky met with Ukraine’s law enforcement and anti-corruption institutions on July 23, promising to present a joint action plan within two weeks.
In their official statement after the meeting with Zelensky, NABU and SAPO stressed that the recent legislative changes “significantly undermine the independence” of their institutions.
