EU says Ukraine must speed up rule of law reforms to meet accession goals

The European Union is urging Ukraine to accelerate its rule of law reforms to meet its accession goals, according to the bloc's annual report on the country's progress towards membership. Ukraine was singled out as a frontrunner among the EU's candidate countries, alongside Moldova, Montenegro, and Albania.

While the European Commission has praised Ukraine's commitment to European integration, the report highlights that the country must make significant strides in reform implementation, particularly in the face of Russia's war of aggression. The Commission emphasizes that Ukraine is already contributing to the EU's defense readiness and response to hybrid threats, as well as its digitalization efforts.

However, the report notes that Ukraine still faces a long road ahead. The country is expected to open the final two of the six enlargement clusters, which contain reforms across 33 chapters, by December 2026. To close all chapters and draft a treaty of accession, Ukraine must obtain sign-off on certain rule of law reforms classified as interim benchmarks.

The report criticizes Ukraine's limited progress on the rule of law roadmap and its failure to adopt laws that significantly advance the anti-corruption legal framework. Critics also point to the lack of progress in aligning Ukraine's legislation with the EU and curbing serious and organized crime. The report urges Ukraine to bring in independent international experts to nominate judges and calls for more transparent and merit-based processes in the appointment of the Prosecutor General.