OPINION: Ukraine’s Progress on Its Western Integration Efforts

On June 25, the Ukrainians celebrated a historic moment by holding accession negotiations with the European Union. During the session in Kyiv, the EU stated that it “remains firmly committed to taking the enlargement process forward.” The pace of negotiations between the EU and Ukraine would determine progress on integration efforts. This would be decided by the speed at which Ukraine implements anti-corruption reforms.

Over the past decade, Ukraine’s initiative to improve its government has not gone unnoticed. When initial discussions between Ukraine and the EU began in the autumn of 2013, Ukraine faced several corruption issues. According to Transparency International, Ukraine ranked 144 out of 174 places on its Corruption Perception Index.

After a decade of continued collaboration and cooperation between the EU and Ukraine, the Eastern European state now ranks 104 out of 180 places in the Corruption Perception Index. There is still work to be done, and it will take time to implement reforms outlined by the EU’s list of recommendations, but the progress of Ukraine’s reform efforts cannot be denied.

In its statement during the recent negotiation discussion, the European Commission said that Ukraine’s potential membership would be measured by four requirements. First, progress would be determined by the “stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and respect for and protection of minorities.” Second, an emphasis was placed on the “existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within” the EU. Third, Ukraine’s “ability to take on the obligations of membership, including adherence to the aims of political, economic, and monetary union” was necessary. Finally, Ukraine’s ability to fulfill its obligations under its Association Agreement, the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, and address critical areas identified in the Commission’s report would put Ukraine on the path toward integration.

What are the recommendations proposed by the European Union? How is Ukraine addressing the specific areas to meet EU standards?

First, the European Commission has proposed that Ukrainian authorities present a “roadmap for the rule of law chapters as well as a roadmap for public administration reform.” The European Council will then assess the benchmarks and progress presented in the roadmap.

The Ukrainians have already begun these efforts. According to the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, the Ukrainian government has created a “Strategy for Public Administration Reform for 2022-2025.” By 2025, the Ukrainian government hopes to “ensure the delivery of high-quality services and [develop] user-friendly administrative procedure[s] for citizens and business.” The Ukrainian government also seeks to build “effective state institutions, accountable to citizens, that develop policies and successfully implement them.”

Ukraine has made progress in public administration reform, most notably through e-governance. In January 2023, the United States Agency for International Development reported that Ukraine’s online platform is a “gold standard in e-government.” The Ukrainians are now working with USAID to introduce this application to other countries around the world so that they can have similar successful applications. Additional public administration and government reforms will be needed, but Ukraine is making progress in this area.

Second, the European Commission stated that Ukraine must “prepare a roadmap for the rule of law.” Through this effort, the Ukrainians were instructed to provide information on “key reform priorities and guide the accession negotiations.”

These efforts have been more difficult. In the autumn of 2023, the Ukrainian government launched a “process of vetting judges as part of a long-anticipated judicial reform.” The Ukrainian government has tried to make the selection of judges a fair and transparent process. But according to the Kyiv Independent, Ukraine’s High Council of Justice has “failed to approve the dismissal of a single judge under the [new] vetting process.”

Furthermore, according to the Euromaidan Press, several anti-corruption non-government organizations criticized Ukraine’s Supreme Court. This week, various anti-corruption organizations argued that the court is not evaluating judges fairly and that its actions are “disrupting the integrity of the ongoing judicial reform process.” In other words, the Ukrainians have a lot of work to do in this sector.

Third, the European Commission called on Ukraine to adopt an action plan for the “protection of the rights of” national minorities. The Commission stated that all national minorities and religious groups should be protected.

According to the Associated Press, the Ukrainian government has “amended its education and language laws to comply with the EU’s membership requirements.” The Ukrainians also restored many language rights for minority groups. There is still work to be done, but efforts in this area have been viewed as moving in the right direction, especially by Hungary, a member of the EU that has previously criticized Ukraine in this realm.

Finally, the Commission requested that Ukraine prepare a “roadmap for the functioning of democratic institutions.” This would be measured by Ukrainian civil society.

Last month, the Council of Europe organized an event in Strasbourg to discuss the need for strong democratic institutions in Ukraine and the importance of good democratic governance reform. Members from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the Parliamentary Assembly, and the Venice Commission represented the Council. Meanwhile, representatives from the Ukrainian government, parliamentarians, and members of local authorities from Ukraine discussed their progress through the “Resilience, Recovery, and Reconstruction Plan” for 2023-2026.

Aside from discussions on creating democratic institutions, various Ukrainian civil society organizations have also worked with Ukrainian public officials to discuss how these areas can be reformed. Ukraine’s civil society is concerned about its country’s corruption issues. It is working to hold its government accountable for its actions. The Ukrainian civil society is achieving this by strengthening organizations, improving the environment for organizations to function in Ukraine, and promoting research and information about challenges for Ukraine so that the government can establish best practices.

Once these four major areas are addressed, the European Council will create benchmarks to measure Ukraine’s progress. After the benchmarks have been reached, the European organization will close these outstanding items. The European Commission will keep the European Council informed about Ukraine’s progress. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians will be required to provide detailed reports informing the Commission of their progress. Once the benchmarks have been closed, and the specific reform areas have been addressed, the Commission will process with the accession negotiation process.

In short, there is still much work to be done in Ukraine as it continues to reform its government, judiciary, public administration sector, and democratic institutions. Recent progress suggests that the Ukrainians are serious about their Western integration efforts. The Ukrainians are actively engaging with their European counterparts, discussing areas that need to be reformed so that they can move toward their European future.

Reform efforts will take time and will not be easy. But implementing these changes will give Ukrainians great standards of living and socio-economic opportunities. The process is worth it.

Mark Temnycky is an accredited freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. He can be found on X @MTemnycky

The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.