By BRUSSELS. Dec 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The next step in implementing the decision to begin negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union – the approval of the framework for such negotiations – will be taken after the steps set out in the Commission’s recommendations of November 8, 2023 have been taken.
This is discussed in the Conclusions of the European Council in the section “Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova” published on Thursday in Brussels during the first day of the European Council meeting.
“The European Council decides to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and with the Republic of Moldova. The European Council invites the Council to adopt the respective negotiating frameworks once the relevant steps set out in the respective Commission recommendations of 8 November 2023 are taken,” according to the document.
Earlier it was reported that the recommendations of the Commission were about the adoption of the law proposed by the government to increase the staffing of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine to 1,000; remove from the anti-corruption law provisions limiting the powers of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) to continue to verify assets that have already undergone the verification procedure, and limiting the powers of the NACP to verify property acquired by declarants before entering public service, without prejudice to the rules applicable to national security during war. Ukraine will also have to adopt a law regulating lobbying in accordance with European standards, and a law concerning the remaining recommendations of the Venice Commission of June 2023 and October 2023 related to the Law on National Minorities, as well as concerning the recommendations of the Venice Commission related to laws on state language, media and education.
