EU censures Ukraine over prosecutor office reform

Top European Union officials expressed their “disappointment” yesterday at the enactment of laws relating to the functioning of the prosecutor’s office in Ukraine. EU Foreign Affairs and VP of the EU Commission Catherine Ashton and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said in a statement that the changes represent a missed opportunity to pursue Ukraine’s commitment to reform in line with European standards, noting that the legislation was not consulted with the Venice Commission/Council of Europe. Backers of the law said its purpose was misinterpreted and that further judicial reform would be introduced to parliament by President Viktor Yanukovych shortly. The prosecutor’s office has been one of the current government’s key instruments for exerting its power since Yanukovych assumed office, seeking criminal charges against a number of top opposition figures.

Brad Wells: We find it surprising that Ukrainian officials did not bother to vet any potential legislation that might raise concerns in Europe with the Venice Commission beforehand – as it has almost religiously done in the past, even if it later completely disregarded its suggestions. We interpret this as some pushback from local officials to continued Western criticism, which has been lobbed Ukraine’s way more and more frequently of late, and as the relationship continues to sour, worry that it might be a sign of things to come.