Ukrainian parliament passes EU-linked prosecution reform bill slammed by anti-graft experts

On November 11, the Ukrainian parliament passed the initial reading of a prosecution reform bill, which has been criticized by anti-corruption experts as imitation and sabotage. To become law, the bill must pass through the second reading and receive the president's signature. The legislation aims to address the National Anti-Corruption Bureau's (NABU) Operation Carthage investigation, which resulted in the removal of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko and implicated senior officials in his office.

The bill reintroduces competitive selection procedures for top prosecution roles, except for the Prosecutor General's position, as mandated by the European Union during Ukraine's negotiations to join the bloc. However, critics argue that the bill does not involve independent or international experts and leaves the prosecution service dominated by incumbent prosecutors.

The bill also establishes an Ethics Standards Council with a majority of prosecutors, and does not include a contest for the Prosecutor General's position, despite EU demands for a more merit-based selection process. Anti-corruption activists and pro-reform lawmakers accuse Ukrainian authorities of resisting depoliticizing the Prosecutor General's Office and sabotaging rule of law reforms.