BRUSSELS, Dec 9 – The European Union has urged Ukraine to step up its efforts to fight corruption and to strengthen the rule of law, adding that recently adopted bill to reinstate asset declaration was not strong enough.

Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, and Oliver Varhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, held an online meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday to stress the need for accelerating reforms.

Borrell and Varhelyi “urged Ukraine to continue efforts related to strengthening the rule of law and the fight against corruption,” the report from the EU office said. “They underlined that robust judicial reform remains a vital part of these efforts."

Ukraine’s anti-corruption credentials were undermined by a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court, which in a controversial ruling had abolished assets declarations by government officials and lawmakers.

The ruling sparked a storm of criticism from the EU and the International Monetary Fund, both warning that the problem had to be fixed before any lending Ukraine can be resumed.

Parliament, reacting to the criticism, voted for the bill that reinstall a soft version of the asses declaration legislation, but the EU said the efforts are not enough.

Borrell “underlined the importance of restoring criminal liability for false declarations. He noted that the recently-voted law on asset declarations, even if a step in the right direction in addressing the court's decision of 27 October 2020, has several deficiencies and does not produce the necessary deterrent and corruption prevention effect. The EU is ready to assist Ukraine in this process," the report said.

The EU and Ukraine have been working over the past several years to strengthen Ukraine's political association and economic integration with the European Union.

"The EU and Ukraine have been able to maintain active bilateral cooperation despite the current health restrictions, as demonstrated by a successful Summit in October. Commissioner Varhelyi assured that the EU would continue helping Ukraine to cope with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as to pursue reforms and implement the Association Agreement, which is already bringing significant benefits to business and citizens in Ukraine and in the EU," the report said.

The EU has been looking into deepening sectoral cooperation with Ukraine, including on the green and digital agendas, and will continue to support Ukraine's strategic orientation towards closer integration with the European Union. (tl/ez)