President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decrees on Friday, Aug. 21, appointing 16 new judges to the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) and its Appeals Chamber, according to documents published on the presidential website.
The decrees assign 11 judges to the HACC’s first instance and five to the Appeals Chamber.
HACC Chief of Staff Bohdan Kryklyvenko told European Pravda that 16 out of 17 finalized candidates were appointed because the paperwork for the final nominee was only forwarded to the President’s Office on Aug. 19.
Kryklyvenko also noted that two current first-instance judges who passed the selection for the Appeals Chamber have not yet been formally appointed.
This pause allows them to conclude their ongoing cases and prevent retrials. Three additional judicial candidates remain in the selection phase at the High Qualification Commission of Judges.
EU funding requirements and delays
The expansion of the HACC’s judicial staff is a critical structural indicator under the EU’s €50 billion ($58.4 billion) Ukraine Facility program.
According to European Pravda, meeting this specific benchmark unlocks between €250 million ($292 million) and €300 million ($350 million) in financial support.
The deadline for completing this reform indicator was initially set for the first quarter of 2025. The High Qualification Commission of Judges had already completed the selection process and forwarded the submissions, but Zelensky delayed signing the final appointment decrees for over a month.
The four-year Ukraine Facility program allocates approximately €38 billion ($44.4 billion) for direct budgetary support, which is strictly conditioned on Kyiv meeting specific reform indicators within established timeframes.
Delays in implementation can result in postponed disbursements or the permanent loss of designated funds.