Kyiv and Brussels agree on priority reforms for Ukraine's EU accession: anti-corruption bloc key

Ukraine and the European Union have agreed on a priority reform plan on the path to EU membership, which places a central place on the fight against corruption and strengthening the rule of law. The document covers ten key areas of change — from updating criminal procedural legislation to a deep reform of anti-corruption and law enforcement institutions, as well as the adoption of an anti-corruption strategy by mid-2026.

As reported with reference to Eurostat data, the agreement on the plan was the result of an informal meeting of European Affairs Ministers, which took place on December 11, 2025 in Lviv. During the negotiations, the parties confirmed their common commitment to accelerating Ukraine's European integration course and continuing comprehensive support from the EU — political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic.

Separately, Ukraine highly appreciated the European Union's decision to provide financial assistance. This concerns the payment of the final tranche under the ERA initiative in the amount of 4.1 billion euros, as well as the provision of another 1.8 billion euros in November under the Facility for Ukraine. These funds should strengthen the state's ability to finance social spending, defense needs and reconstruction projects.

The participants in the meeting once again condemned Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. The European Commission confirmed its determination to support Ukraine until it achieves a just and lasting peace. The EU also stressed that the enlargement of the Union is a strategic investment in the security and stability of the continent, and Ukraine is seen as an important future asset of a united Europe. Its accession, according to the parties, will strengthen the pan-European security architecture.

The parties welcomed the completion of the bilateral screening of all negotiation chapters in record time. The European Commission confirmed the readiness of all six negotiation clusters to open, with the Fundamental Issues Cluster expected to be launched first. The European Council is already working on preparing the next stages of the negotiation process.

Ukraine and the EU confirmed their common position that enlargement must remain fair, rigorous and based solely on real progress. Despite the war, Ukraine has demonstrated consistency in implementing reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, public trust and the rule of law - key conditions for EU membership.

The European Union also welcomed Ukraine's adoption of roadmaps on the rule of law, public administration reform, democratic institutions and an action plan on national minorities. All of these documents have been positively assessed by the European Commission. Kyiv, for its part, confirmed its readiness to implement the recommendations of the EU Enlargement Report 2025 and ensure further progress in the core negotiation clusters.

A key element of the agreements was a detailed anti-corruption roadmap, which includes ten reforms. These include comprehensive amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, abolishing the automatic closure of cases based on statutes of limitations, expanding the powers of the NABU and the SAPO, extending the terms of prosecution for corruption crimes, and a clear division of competences between law enforcement agencies.

It also provides for guaranteeing NABU’s access to independent judicial expertise, revising the procedure for appointing the Prosecutor General with the participation of the Venice Commission, adopting a new law on transparent and merit-based selection of prosecutors, and a deep reform of the State Bureau of Investigation with an independent audit.

A separate block of reforms concerns the judicial system: immediate appointment of judges of the Constitutional Court and members of the High Council of Justice who have passed an international review, expanding the role of international experts in the HQCJ competition commission, as well as the introduction of declarations of integrity for judges and improving the mechanisms for their verification.

The final elements of the plan are the adoption of the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the State Anti-Corruption Program by the second quarter of 2026, as well as strengthening internal control in government bodies through modern audit systems, risk management, and wider use of NACP tools.

The European Commission acknowledged Ukraine’s progress and assured its readiness to continue to support it politically, financially, and technically. Both sides stressed their shared determination to maintain the high pace of reforms and accelerate Ukraine’s integration into the European Union.