On Friday 10 August, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service said the EEAS hoped the Ukrainian High Anti-Corruption Court would be "fully operational before the end of the year as this is the intention of the authorities".
"What counts now, what will support the country and its people to fight against corruption, will be the full implementation of this act", the EEAS spokesperson said in a press release, adding that the EU stood ready to support the process. According to the spokesperson, the adoption of the legislation a few days earlier on establishing this court is "a positive development in accordance with (Ukraine's) international obligations" and its creation "marks a significant step in the crucial fight against corruption in Ukraine, which is a key component of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and follows the commitments taken by Ukraine during the EU-Ukraine summit on 9 July" (see EUROPE 12058). The EU has been calling for progress on the fight against corruption for months (see EUROPE 11979).
Once established, the High Anti-Corruption Court will complete the chain of independent anti-corruption institutions that also includes the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor. In order for all anti-corruption institutions to be fully independent and carry out their tasks free from undue influence, the EEAS spokesperson says "it is important that the integrity and credibility of the Office of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor and its leadership are upheld and reinforced".
On 2 August, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko announced he had signed the law on amendments to the legislation on the judicial system and the status of judges as part of the adoption of the law on the High Anti-Corruption Court. This paves the way to the creation and operation of this High Court. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)