Ukraine commits to promptly eliminating the consequences of the “Lozovyi amendments” for movement towards the European Union
Ukraine has officially reaffirmed its intention to swiftly and without unnecessary delays implement the necessary changes to national legislation, including the Criminal Procedure Code, in order to fulfill one of the key conditions for beginning negotiations with the EU. This was announced during a recent roundtable in Kyiv, organized by the Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, where Deputy Minister of Justice Oleksandr Banchuk explained in detail the essence of the task and the challenges faced by Ukrainian legislation. According to Banchuk, this involves implementing a roadmap adopted by the Ukrainian government to start negotiations on accession to the European Union. The central element of this agreement is amending the Criminal Procedure Code, which, among other things, envisages the abolition of automatic case closure — so-called "Lozovyi amendments," which during their implementation caused much debate and criticism both from European partners and within the country. The Deputy Minister emphasized that Ukraine has committed to making the relevant legislative changes by the third quarter of 2025 to improve the judicial process and strengthen the rule of law. One of the key aspects of the new norms will be increasing the pre-trial investigation periods and enhancing prosecutors' responsibility for violations of participants’ rights, including safeguards against denying fair justice. Banchuk paid particular attention to the need to abolish the automatic closure of proceedings concerning top corruption offenses, which is critical in the context of combating high levels of corruption and establishing trust with the EU. "The deadlines by which Ukraine must implement these measures are set in the roadmap — the third quarter of 2025. These are our commitments to the European Union regarding the enhancement of the rule of law and bringing Ukrainian legislation in line with European standards," the Deputy Minister clarified. As reported by "European Pravda," addressing the "Lozovyi amendments" is one of the decisive factors for accelerating Ukraine’s accession process to the EU. The European Union has long emphasized the necessity of their removal as a prerequisite for moving forward in negotiations. Equally important are Ukraine’s commitments to the International Monetary Fund, which also stress the importance of enacting corresponding changes to stabilize the economy and overcome existing justice system challenges. Additionally, in a regional and long-term political perspective, the implementation of these reforms should become a significant step towards ensuring transparency, fighting corruption, and increasing trust in the judicial system. At the same time, they open discourse on the depth and pace of Ukraine’s legislative transformation towards European standards. Sources within the government note that this step demonstrates Kyiv’s seriousness in its ambition to integrate into the European community and to prove to the global community its intentions regarding reform and anti-corruption efforts. However, the process of implementing changes requires time and political will, posing challenges such as reconciling compromises and gradually advancing along one of the most complex reform paths — judicial reform. Therefore, Ukraine has officially confirmed its responsibility and readiness to fulfill all conditions as soon as possible for integration into the European family and to obtain candidate status with a perspective of further accession to the EU. This is a significant step reaffirming its desire to meet high standards of democracy, the rule of law, and anti-corruption efforts.