EU welcomes Ukraine's efforts to strengthen rule of law

The European Union has supported the reform of Ukraine's High Council of Justice (HCJ) and hopes this positive trend will continue.

According to Ukrinform, EU spokesperson Peter Stano said this in a statement.

"The recent appointment of eight new members to the High Council of Justice by the Congress of Judges allows this key judicial governance body to resume its work. The EU has strongly supported the reform of Ukraine's High Council of Justice and is looking forward to the continuation of this positive trend," he said.

Stano added that the EU is also closely monitoring the alignment of the reform of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) with the recommendations of the European Commission's opinion on the EU membership application of Ukraine to ensure that this process is done in line with Venice Commission recommendations.

"In particular, the Venice Commission Opinion published on 19 December recommends that (i) an exclusion of CCU candidates can also be done on the ground of professional competence (para 63) and (ii) that the number of the Advisory Group of Experts (AGE) should be increased to seven, with the 7th member coming from the international donors' quota. The European Commission expects Ukraine to align its legislation accordingly," Stano added.

He said that by introducing these changes, Ukraine would not only advance on its EU membership process, but it will foster the trust of Ukrainian citizens in the country's judiciary.

"Progress in judicial reforms remain vital for strengthening Ukraine's resilience and the rule of law," the statement said.

On December 13, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on the competitive selection of candidates for the positions of judges of the Constitutional Court.

On January 12, delegates to the Congress of Judges elected the eighth member of the High Council of Justice. The election of candidates from the Congress of Judges of Ukraine will make it possible to unblock the work of the High Council of Justice and restore its institutional capacity to make decisions.