EU declares its support for civil service bill, contrary to Poroshenko claims

The “On civil service” law, approved in parliament in the first reading, takes into account international experience and EU principles of state administration, according to a Sept. 22 statement released on Facebook by the EU Delegation to Ukraine. “Also the bill proposes effective solutions to resolve the main problems that Ukraine’s civil service is faced with,” the statement said, adding that it hopes the bill will be approved at the soonest time. The bill’s approval is needed to gain further aid from the West, including the Contract for State Reconstruction, macrofinancial aid, as well as possible future aid programs to reform the state administration, the statement said.

At the Sept. 21 closed session of the National Reforms Council, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is alleged to have said the EU doesn’t support the “On civil service” legislation, proposing to recall it from the parliamentary agenda for amending. “The president said that the EU recalled funding because it’s dissatisfied with the bill,” wrote on his Facebook page Danylo Pasko, a council member.

Zenon Zawada: It’s not clear where the president gained his incorrect information, but the report is evidence that people at the highest rungs of the Ukrainian government are trying to undermine pro-Western reform efforts. This explains the slow and patchy pace of reforms. This would be remedied by stronger will from the president and prime minister, but that’s lacking as well.