European Solidarity calls on Rada, Cabinet to discuss European Commission's report, take it into account
The European Solidarity party welcomes the publication of the Ukrainian file by the European Commission, while stating that the Ukrainian authorities have selectively read the report and ignored a number of critical remarks.
"We view the European Commission’s report and the European Parliament’s resolution as a clear 'roadmap' for the Ukrainian Parliament and Government. We call on the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers to hold an open discussion of these documents in order to take the EU’s remarks into account in further work. It is shared responsibility and readiness for self-criticism that can unite Ukrainian society and demonstrate to Europe a mature, united, and determined course of our state toward full membership in the European Union," the party’s statement on its official website reads.
The European Solidarity notes that the European Commission could not overlook systemic problems in the country, which the party does not interpret as criticism but as "a signal from friends who want to help Ukraine meet the high standards of the EU."
"Of particular concern are the remarks of the European Commission regarding the limited progress in the field of anti-corruption policy. We share the EU’s concern about the July initiatives of the authorities aimed at undermining the independence of NABU and SAPO… The European Solidarity supports the European Commission’s calls to expand NABU’s jurisdiction to investigate corruption offenses at the high political level, including within the leadership of the President’s Office and regional administrations, as well as to expand the list of persons required to file asset declarations, especially dozens of full-time and freelance advisers to the President’s Office," the party’s statement reads.
The party also welcomes the European Commission’s position on the need to ensure a transparent, independent, and pluralistic media environment, and supports the call to adopt legislation guaranteeing the rights of the parliamentary opposition. It adds that it will submit the relevant draft laws to the Verkhovna Rada in the near future.
As reported earlier, in its annual Enlargement Package report released in Brussels on Tuesday, the European Commission stated that Ukraine has a certain level of preparedness in the area of combating corruption, and that "limited progress" had been achieved over the past year.