During a visit to Brussels by the management of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, EU officials expressed strong support for their work.
The EU’s Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, emphasized that independent anti-corruption bodies are the backbone of the rule of law. According to Kos, NABU’s and SAPO’s fight against corruption is crucial for Ukraine’s EU accession and post-war reconstruction.
The management of NABU and SAPO was invited by the Enlargement Commissioner to visit Brussels on 26–27 August. The visit was supported by the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) and included meetings with the European Commission, the European External Action Service, and EU Member States, hosted by the Danish EU Representation.
During the meetings, NABU and SAPO presented the results of their work, highlighting the growing number of high-level cases under investigation as evidence of their effectiveness. They stressed the importance of the EU opening negotiations on Cluster 1, which would further strengthen their work. They also raised concerns about draft legislation currently under consideration in the Ukrainian parliament.
❕In discussions about the recent crisis, NABO and SAPO praised international partners for their strong statements and diplomatic activities. They appealed to the Member States to keep an eye on the cases of two NABU detectives detained by the security services.
Commenting on the visit, Allan Pagh Kristensen, Head of EUACI, who accompanied the delegation, stated:
“This visit comes at a very important point in time. It shows a strong support for the independent anti-corruption institutions and the work they are doing. The support of international partners is so important for them. I was pleased to note the great interests in this visit by the EU institutions and EU’s member states.”
