Ukraine yet to act on its recommendations, EU report says

The Ukrainian government has yet to act upon most of the European Commission’s key recommendations for the European Neighborhood Policy, according to the European Commission’s Ukraine Country Progress Report released on March 20. “Ukraine stepped up its efforts to implement the priorities of the Association Agenda,” the report said. “However, much remains to be done by Ukraine, for example the fight against conflict of interest and corruption in the judiciary and the stabilization and consolidation of public institutions to enable them to benefit fully from the Association Agreement’s potential.” Ukraine did take steps toward legal and judicial reform, with the entry into force of a new Criminal Procedure Code and other important legislation, the report said. Such positive steps, which include the law on freedom of association, were largely overshadowed by instances of selective justice and deteriorating standards in the October parliamentary elections.