Ukrainian leaders cheered on Dec. 18 as the European Commission gave the green light for the country to be granted visa-free travel to the European Union, a top priority for Kyiv and a demand of last year's EuroMaidan Revolution that drove pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from power.
Even before the news was announced, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk expressed optimism that Ukraine would receive high marks in the European Commission’s sixth progress report on the matter, saying Ukraine had fulfilled all the requirements.
President Petro Poroshenko followed suit, celebrating on Twitter when the news was announced by writing: “Visa-free travels to Europe, here you go!”
Two days earlier, the Ukrainian president had met with EU officials in Brussels, where a tentative deal on the matter was reached.
While the European Commission’s support of a visa-free regime does not represent the final say on the matter, as it will have to be legalized and approved by the European Council, it is the last step in a long process of “progress reports” on the matter.
Among the requirements for visa-free travel regime were the adoption of several laws, including anti-discrimination legislation and legislation on the financing of political parties, the establishment of an independent Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the improvement of border integration.
The top priority for Ukraine, according to EU officials, should be rooting out corruption.
Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European Commission’s commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship, praised Kyiv’s “hard work” in ensuring it would meet all the requirements, but noted that it would be crucial to “keep upholding all the standards.”
Meeting all the requirements was not an easy task for Ukraine, with officials forced to plead with lawmakers to pass the necessary legislation on at least one occasion – in mid-November, with legislation banning discrimination in the workplace.
Perhaps more embarrassing for Ukraine’s leadership, however, was a spat between top government officials on Dec. 14 that saw a minister and a governor nearly come to blows over corruption allegations.
Poroshenko was forced to halt the meeting after Interior Minister Arsen Avakov threw a glass of water at Odesa Governor Mikheil Saakashvili.
In announcing its decision on Dec. 18, the European Commission did single out Ukraine for certain areas in need of improvement – namely the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which it said had experienced “shortcomings in the selection process” that saw certain figures who lacked an “objective track record” nominated for leadership positions.
“To this end, the selection, appointment and dismissal procedures for the office’s leadership and staff must follow stricter independence and integrity safeguards,” the commission concluded.
Yet the European Commission concluded that the country had met the anti-corruption benchmarks by setting up the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and also demonstrated progress in setting up the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, a body which will check officials’ asset declarations.
Many were quick to warn that the commission’s report was not the final decision on visa-free travel, and EU officials could backtrack if Ukraine failed to keep up with its reforms.
Vitaly Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, said at a briefing in Kyiv that EU member states could “refuse to support visa-free travel if we don’t launch” the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption.
“That is the key internal risk. It’s much more serious than the external one. Without the (new agency), a visa-free regime will be impossible,” Shabunin told Ukrainian journalists.
Natalia Katser-Buchkovska, a member of the People’s Front party, told the Kyiv Post that the European Commission’s decision was a “great success of Ukraine and diplomacy” and a pleasant bit of news ahead of New Year’s.
“It’s a strong signal for Ukraine that the EU is still with us,” she said, adding, however, that the decision was not final and Ukrainian authorities would have to keep working hard to ensure that all goes as planned. EU officials should “keep pressure on Ukraine to move forward with anti-corruption measures,” she said.
Jan Tombinski, head of the EU delegation to Ukraine, said in comments to Ukrainian media that the European Commission would prepare the necessary legislation for the cancellation of visas in early 2016, though “when this discussion will make it to the level of the EU Council, I cannot say.”
“I have been hearing from ambassadors representing European nations in Ukraine about good relations for the liberalization of the visa regime. So I don’t see any problems,” Tombinski was cited as saying.
