The European Commission has said that the question of providing the so-called "budget support" to Kyiv is now the subject of discussions between the EU and Ukraine, because reports that Brussels officially informed the Ukrainian leadership about the suspension of budgetary assistance due to changes in the public procurement law are untrue.
This is stipulated in a comment obtained by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency from European Commission spokesperson Natasha Butler.
"Budget support disbursements to the state budget of Ukraine are the subject of discussions between the [European] Commission and Ukraine. This is a normal procedure, since budget support disbursements are often reviewed depending on the state of play of the relevant conditions," Butler said.
She said that several conditions had to be met so that the European Commission provides the so-called "budget support." Among such conditions, Butler called "the progress made by the partner country in public finance management."
"The implementation of this condition (and especially the law on public procurement) is currently under review and is subject to an active dialog between the commission and the government," she said.
Once the conditions are met, the European Commission will soon allocate around EUR 100 million in funds requested by Ukraine for budget support.
"Ukraine is one of the most important recipients of EU assistance in the region. EU technical and financial assistance to Ukraine is continuing to be implemented normally," Butler said.
Ukrainian media reported earlier that the European Union had informed the Ukrainian leadership about the suspension of the allocation of budgetary assistance to the country.
