You're reading: Brussels urges Rada to use international experience in legislative work

European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule called on Ukrainian lawmakers to use the experience of international institution in its legislative practice.

Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine-EU parliamentary club in Strasbourg, Fule said that the implementation of reforms is among the priorities of the relations between Ukraine and the EU.

"By encouraging an open and transparent approach to the most important reforms in Ukraine, such as those of the constitution, the election system and the judiciary, we believe that we can improve the chances of getting it right with the new legal and institutional frameworks. This means that all political forces, as well as civil society, need to be involved in the process," he said.

According to Fule, the Ukrainian parliament should take into account the advice from international organizations. "We also need to listen to trusted outside bodies with experience and useful advice to give: an example of this would be the Venice Commission in the case of the new electoral law, or the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) for anti-corruption legislation. In the case of public procurement, where effective legislation also helps to fight corruption, we also hope that outside advice has been taken and that the legislation finally adopted by Parliament will meet international standards," he explained.

The European Commissioner once again noted that the completion of the talks on the association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union is a top short-term priority.

"Rapid progress on these critical reforms, with broad public understanding and support, will create the right atmosphere for the endgame of our negotiations: as far as I am concerned it is our top short-term priority. And let me add that an active and well-informed parliament is a critical tool for delivering the ambitious and realistic set of reforms we want," Fule said.