14 Dec 2022 13:50

Ukraine's Rada fulfills all European Commission recommendations to start EU entry talks - Speaker Stefanchuk

MOSCOW. Dec 14 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada has fulfilled all of the European Commission's recommendations paving the way for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said.

"One can say confidently that the Verkhovna Rada has done its part of this work and has adopted all systemic bills necessary for fulfilling the European Commission's recommendations," Ukrainian media said, citing Stefanchuk's statement circulated by the Verkhovna Rada's press service on Wednesday.

The European Commission gave Ukraine seven recommendations, some of which were to be addressed by the Verkhovna Rada, on June 23, when Ukraine formally became a candidate to join the EU.

Stefanchuk listed draft legislation on Constitutional Court reform, on the media and on national minorities (communities) among the bills recently adopted by the parliament in order to start talks on Ukraine's accession to the EU.

The Verkhovna Rada also passed bills to crack down on money laundering, such as legislative amendments simplifying the provision of information necessary for financing monitoring, a bill on the ratification of an additional protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, amendments to the law on preventing and countering the legalization of proceeds received through criminal methods, the financing of terrorism and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as the adaptation of legislation to certain FATF standards and the requirements of EU Directive 2018/843.

The Verkhovna Rada also continued the judicial reform, electing two members of the Supreme Council of Justice under its quota, he said.

"I thank Ukrainian parliamentarians who supported all decisions that are bringing us closer to the EU. I thank our European partners and allies. Our goal is full-fledged membership in the European Union," Stefanchuk said.