EU assesses Ukraine's progress in the area of the rule of law

A year has passed since Ukraine officially embarked on a course of large-scale reform of its justice system and state institutions as part of its European integration. To mark the occasion, a high-level event entitled ‘Roadmap on the Rule of Law: One Year On’ was held in Kyiv, during which representatives of the Ukrainian authorities and international partners took stock of the initial progress made in implementing one of the key documents on the path to EU membership.

The event was attended by the Rector of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, Mykola Onishchuk. The discussion focused on judicial reforms, anti-corruption policy, the protection of human rights and the strengthening of institutions designed to ensure the effective rule of law in the country.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the roadmap in 2025 as a strategic plan for the reforms necessary to conduct negotiations on accession to the European Union. The rule of law is one of the fundamental criteria for EU membership and determines the country’s readiness for further stages of integration.

According to the event’s speakers, over the past year Ukraine has demonstrated progress in fulfilling its commitments to its European partners. At the same time, reform of the judicial system and the strengthening of independent institutions remain among the main challenges. Ukraine is currently continuing its preparations for the EU accession negotiation process, and the pace of reform implementation directly influences the speed of the country’s progress towards membership.

Participants at the event emphasised that, despite the war and security challenges, the transformation of state institutions is continuing and is already yielding practical results.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, in cooperation with the EU ‘Pravo-Justice’ Project, implemented by Expertise France, and the ‘Supporting Ukraine’s Approximation to the EU in the Field of the Rule of Law’ Programme (3*E4U), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union.