Brussels, 23/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle, speaking at the conference “Ukraine 20 years on: challenges for the future” organised by the European Policy Centre Brussels on 21 September, has called reform of the Ukrainian justice system. Noting that negotiations were continuing with the EU on an association agreement, Füle stated that negotiating the agreement was “only the starting point of delivering on our mutual commitments” and that the agreement was “based on political association. It involves a clear and effective commitment to the core values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law”. Several challenges remained, the commissioner said: “I would like to emphasise specifically the rule of law”.
He revealed that he had discussed this with his Ukrainian counterparts a t the Yalta summit last week. “The on-going trials against opposition politicians appear to be politically motivated and damage Ukraine's reputation. (…) I urged the leaders of Ukraine to work harder to ensure the judiciary's independence. (…) This involves fair and transparent trials of former opposition leaders. But it also involves beginning serious work on a comprehensive justice reform”, the commissioner said.
Highlighting the “good news” about Ukraine in the last 20 years, Füle called on it to go further. “Ukraine has the potential to play a key role in Europe as a major factor of economic dynamism and political freedom and stability in the heart of Europe”, he argued. (CG/transl.rt)