By KYIV. Jan 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The EU welcomes the recent appointment of eight new members of the High Council of Justice (HCJ) by the Congress of Judges and calls for changes to the law on reforming the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CC) to comply with the recommendations of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), the EU Diplomatic Service said on Friday.
"In particular, the Venice Commission Opinion published on December 19 recommends that (i) an exclusion of CCU candidates can also be done on the ground of professional competence (para 63) and (ii) that the number of the Advisory Group of Experts (AGE) should be increased to seven, with the 7th member coming from the international donors’ quota. The European Commission expects Ukraine to align its legislation accordingly," EU spokesman for foreign policy Peter Stano said.
"By introducing these changes, Ukraine would not only advance on its EU membership process, but it will foster the trust of Ukrainian citizens in the country’s judiciary. Progress in judicial reforms remain vital for strengthening Ukraine’s resilience and the rule of law," he said.
The Diplomatic Service said the EU is also closely monitoring the alignment of the reform of the Constitutional Court with the recommendations of the Commission’s opinion on Ukraine’s application for EU membership to ensure that this process is carried out under the recommendations of the Venice Commission.
As reported, bill No.7662 on the Constitutional Court was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on December 13 with 245 votes, and on December 20 it was signed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
