Civil Society Urges Ukraine’s Parliament to Adopt Full Anti-Corruption Strategy
More than 50 civil society organizations called on Ukraine’s parliament to immediately review and adopt the draft Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030 as a whole. They warned against excluding unresolved provisions during the second reading, particularly those limiting political influence over anti-corruption and law-enforcement institutions.
Key points
- The joint statement had 52 signatures when published.
- Organizations asked the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, to include bill No. 15230 on the agenda and consider it at the next plenary sitting.
- Bill No. 15230 contains the draft Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030.
- Adoption of the strategy is linked to about €420 million under the Ukraine Facility; another €64.4 million is tied to the State Anti-Corruption Programme.
- The strategy is included in EU accession criteria, the rule-of-law roadmap and European Commission progress reports for 2024 and 2025.
- Unresolved provisions concern NABU, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the State Bureau of Investigation, prosecutors, the National Police and the bar.
- The strategy will not automatically change legislation; each reform will require separate legislation.
Why it matters
The decision is tied to access to substantial European financing and Ukraine’s commitments on its path toward EU membership. The treatment of unresolved provisions could affect oversight and institutional independence across several anti-corruption and law-enforcement bodies. Even if the strategy is adopted, its reforms will require additional legislation.
What happened
More than 50 civil society organizations published a joint statement calling on the Verkhovna Rada to immediately place bill No. 15230 on the agenda and review it at the next plenary sitting. The organizations asked lawmakers to adopt the draft Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030 as a whole and not remove provisions limiting political influence over NABU, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the State Bureau of Investigation, the prosecution service and the National Police, as well as provisions envisaging reform of the bar. The signatories warned that unresolved provisions could be excluded during the second reading, potentially reducing the document to a formal approval. Most provisions have reportedly been coordinated with parliamentary factions, committees and relevant government agencies, while several provisions affecting possible political influence over the law-enforcement system remain unresolved. The controversial issues include the review of Lozovoy amendments, changes to Article 49 of the Criminal Code on limitation periods, expanded NABU jurisdiction, the powers of the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, international experts’ participation in competitions and evaluations of anti-corruption agencies, appointments of law-enforcement leaders, and reforms of the State Bureau of Investigation and the bar.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage focuses on the demand for rapid parliamentary consideration and adoption of the strategy in full. It also highlights domestic institutional disputes involving the independence and powers of key anti-corruption and law-enforcement institutions.
Where reporting differs
The sources differ on which commitment had two missed deadlines: ZN.UA refers to the State Anti-Corruption Programme, while Detector Media refers to the Anti-Corruption Strategy.