On Wednesday 23 May, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn hailed Ukraine's progress on decentralisation (see EUROPE 11379).
"I am really impressed by the progress made by the country regarding decentralisation", he said at a conference ('Moving forward together – enabling reforms to reach the Ukrainian citizens')". "For a country the size of Ukraine, there is no alternative to decentralisation. It was more than high time to introduce this important element", he said. In Hahn's opinion, this decentralisation will have to be accompanied by an appropriate transfer of funds.
Continuing reforms
Hahn stated that other reforms were needed. Many factors affect the reform process, especially the situation in eastern Ukraine and in Crimea, but "this should not be an obstacle to change", he said, according to a press release from the Ukrainian government on the meeting between Hahn and Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.
"We agreed that privatisation, fighting corruption and the rule of law, as well as creating a dynamic business climate and increasing foreign direct investment, are urgently needed," Hahn said, at the end of meetings with representatives from Ukrainian businesses, according to local media in Ukraine.
Hahn and Groysman also discussed setting up an anti-corruption court. Groysman will, furthermore, be in Brussels on Friday 25 May, for political consultations. "The assessment of the draft legislation (in the national parliament) is good news", Hahn said.
In a press release, MEPs from the EPP Group, Elmar Brok, Michael Gahler (both from Germany) and Dariusz Rosati (Poland) encouraged the Ukrainian national parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) to adopt the draft legislation setting up this court. "Requirements for electronic declaration targeting NGOs' anti-corruption campaigners" will also have to be lifted, and "a politically balanced central electoral commission" will have to come into existence ahead of the elections in 2019.
Harmonising national security legislation with EU standards
The head of the EU consultative mission, Kęstutis Lančinskas, called on the parliamentarians to use their powers to ensure the draft legislation on national security (currently being assessed with hopes of it being adopted before the summer) is harmonised with EU and NATO standards, according to a press release of 24 May.
Lančinskas especially recommends creating a separate parliamentary committee responsible for supervising the security and intelligence services. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)