EC Briefs on Progress Toward EU Membership by Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
The long-awaited oral report communicated today to the EU Ambassadors in Brussels by the European Commission on the implementation by Georgia of the EU’s 12 conditions for candidacy reportedly says that Georgia fully implemented three out of twelve conditions fully (related to gender equality, ECHR judgments, and Public Defender’s appointment).
The report (which appraises progress as “full”, “partial”, “limited”, and “no progress”) reportedly says that Georgia partially implemented seven conditions related to political depolarization, judicial reform, institutional independence and oversight, fight against corruption, fight against organized crime, human rights protection, and the involvement of civil society in the decision-making process. The limited progress is achieved on de-oligarchization. The report says Georgia made no progress on media pluralism.
Moldova fully implemented three out of nine conditions related to democratic reforms, civil-society dialogue, and protection of human rights.
While the country’s justice reforms are noted with partial progress, Chişinău will be expected to focus on “confirmed efforts” to fight corruption, improve the quality of investigations and efficiency of prosecuting on de-oligarchization and recommendations of the Venice Commission”.
As for Ukraine it has so far fully implemented two out of seven recommendations to start membership negotiations related to judicial reform and media law.
Kyiv’s recommendations included adopting legislation on the selection process for Constitutional Court judges on a competitive basis, strengthening the fight against corruption, harmonizing media regulation with EU standards, and protecting minority communities.
As for the other five recommendations, important measures are still pending, the update is set to say, including “strengthening the country’s anti-money laundering system” and law enforcement reform.
Ukraine is also expected to implement the recommendations of the Venice Commission in the anti-oligarch and national minorities law and launch the Constitutional Court’s selection procedure.
Neither Moldova nor Ukraine had any conditions marked with “no progress” or “limited progress”.
The EU executive’s interim oral report, is meant to be a first indicator of which areas the three countries need to progress on before the European Commission’s enlargement review (and recommendations) in October.
The report will be communicated to the EU member states foreign ministers during their meeting in Stockholm tomorrow.
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