In June, the negotiations for Ukraine’s membership of the EU was launched and on September 17-19 a bilateral meeting (screening) between the Ukrainian delegation and the European Commission will take place in Brussels. This meeting will cover chapter 23 of EU’s acquis ‘Rule of law and fundamental rights and freedoms’. This chapter also includes the main part of EU’s anti-corruption acquis.
12 simulation sessions (so-called mock exercises) are planned for the Ukrainian team as part of the preparation for the meeting. They will cover EU law and policies in the areas of independent and effective judiciary, prevention and fight against corruption, and fundamental rights and freedoms.
As requested by the Ukrainian government, three subject-matter anti-corruption experts, identified by the EUACI, including from Romania and Croatia with experience from their countries’ membership negotiations, will participate in dedicated sessions on anti-corruption policy on 20, 28 August, and 11 September.
Chapter 23 covers EU law and policies in the areas of an independent and effective judiciary; preventing and fighting corruption as a threat to the stability of democratic institutions and the rule of law; fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the EU treaties and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: children’s rights, protection of persons reporting violations of EU law, protection of personal data, procedural rights and guarantees, rights of victims of crimes, combating racism and xenophobia, freedom of expression, non-discrimination, protection of Roma rights, gender equality, rights of persons with disabilities, rights of citizens of EU member states.
