Anti-corruption institutions remain at the center of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Developments in this area are closely monitored by European partners, especially in the context of preparations for opening Negotiation Cluster 1, which also covers the fight against corruption within the chapter “Justice and Fundamental Rights.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Taras Kachka, emphasized that the issues of rule of law and anti-corruption have no single template — for each candidate country, this is an individual path that reflects its political culture, ensures trust in the judicial system, and guarantees institutional effectiveness.
“Anti-corruption mainstreaming is not a separate area for us. It is a cross-cutting element that we integrate into every sphere — from energy to transport, from public procurement to statistics,”
noted the Deputy Prime Minister.
He emphasized that the key document in this process for Ukraine is the Rule of Law Roadmap, which encompasses more than 500 measures and is already being implemented — without waiting for the formal opening of Cluster 1.
The heads of anti-corruption institutions noted that during their meetings with European officials, they consistently emphasized the importance of opening Cluster 1. SAPO Head Oleksandr Klymenko and NABU Director Semen Kryvonos stated that this step would serve as a safeguard against attempts to limit the powers and independence of anti-corruption bodies, while the measures set out in the Rule of Law Roadmap could significantly strengthen the independence of NABU and SAPO.
Participants of the discussion highlighted that Ukrainian society and media are actively engaged in the process of European integration and understand its importance.
“We see that even the forum’s audience is familiar with the word ‘cluster’. Name another candidate country with an outlet like European Pravda, which systematically covers European integration. In no other candidate country does this exist. We are not just preparing for accession — we are living through this process publicly,”
said the editor of European Pravda Serhii Sydorenko.
Deputy Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative, Iryna Shyba, who moderated the discussion, stressed the role of Ukrainian journalists in exposing corruption and advancing European integration, thanking them for their daily work.
The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative is a partner of this year’s Donbas Media Forum and the organizer of this panel. Watch the full recording of the discussion here:
🇺🇦 https://cutt.ly/Ar2VN7j3
🇬🇧 https://cutt.ly/Qr2VMkVk
