Civil Society Organizations Demand That Parliament Adopt the Anti-Corruption Strategy

Civil society organizations demand that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine immediately consider the draft Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030 (Draft Law No. 15230-d) and adopt it at first reading and as a whole.

We are convinced that the delay in considering this draft law is not a technical one. Almost all provisions of the Strategy have already been agreed with parliamentary factions, committees, and the relevant government bodies. The few provisions still in dispute make up less than 1% of the document’s text. These are precisely the provisions that limit potential political influence over the law enforcement system.

The provisions still in dispute include:

• The power of the SAPO head to enter information on criminal offenses involving members of Parliament into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations independently, without the Prosecutor General’s permission.
• Competitive selection for the positions of Prosecutor General, Director of the SBI, and the leadership of the National Police.
• Participation of independent experts delegated by international partners in selection competitions and in performance evaluations of anti-corruption bodies.
• Revision of the time limits for criminal proceedings (the “Lozovyi amendments”), amendments to Article 49 of the Criminal Code on limitation periods, and the expansion of NABU’s investigative jurisdiction.
• Reform of the bar.

It should be emphasized that the Strategy does not change any laws automatically. Each of these reforms will still have to be adopted through separate laws. Yet, for now, MPs refuse even to commit to carrying them out.

The cost of failing to make this decision is measured in billions in lost budget revenue. Adoption of the Strategy is a condition for receiving about EUR 420 million, or more than UAH 21 billion, under the Ukraine Facility Plan. Another EUR 64.4 million is tied to the approval of the State Anti-Corruption Program. Ukraine has already missed two deadlines for meeting this commitment. A country at war is losing European funds because some politicians are unwilling to give up control over the law enforcement and security agencies.

The new Anti-Corruption Strategy is also one of Ukraine’s European integration commitments. It is required under the interim benchmarks of the EU accession negotiations, the Rule of Law Roadmap, and the European Commission’s recommendations in its 2024 and 2025 reports on Ukraine’s progress. Every postponed session signals to our partners that the Ukrainian authorities are not prepared to honor the commitments they have made.

The first reading is only half the job. We warn against a scenario in which the Strategy is adopted at first reading to report to partners, and the disputed provisions listed above are then stripped out before the second reading. Such a document would be adopted only on paper, while the political control over the law enforcement system that it was meant to limit would remain intact. The Ukraine Facility requires the Strategy’s final adoption, and international partners will assess its substance, not its title.

We demand that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine:

• Immediately include Draft Law No. 15230-d of July 27, 2026, on Approval of the Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030, on the agenda and consider it at the next plenary session.

• Adopt the draft law at first reading without removing the provisions that limit political influence over the NABU, the SAPO, the SBI, the prosecution service, and the National Police, and that provide for reform of the bar.

• Adopt the Strategy as a whole, without removing or weakening the provisions on the powers of the SAPO head, competitive selection of law enforcement leadership, participation of independent experts, reform of the bar, and amendments to criminal procedure legislation.

Signatories:

1. Anti-Corruption Headquarters
2. All-Ukrainian Association “Automaidan”
3. Public Council under the NACP
4. Anti-Corruption Research and Education Center in Ukraine
5. Institute of Legislative Ideas (ILI)
6. CHESNO Movement
7. Technologies of Progress
8. Against Corruption
9. Zaporizhzhia Investigation Center
10. Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center
11. Centre of Policy and Legal Reform
12. Network for Protection of National Interest ANTS
    13. Fiscal Policy Research Center
13. Civil Control Center
14. DiXi Group
15. Anti-corruption center “MEZHA”
16. Boiko Ethnological Society
17. StateWatch
18. Independent NGO
19. Bihus.Info
20. Ukrainian Capital Markets Association
21. Chervonyi Huber
22. CSO Women’s Anti-Corruption Movement
23. ZHAR.INFO Online Media
24. Ukrainian Educational Research Association
25. International Cooperation Agency
26. Dobrochyn Center
27. Chernihiv Human Rights Center
28. Centre for Economic Strategy
29. ASU Analytical Center
30. Transparency International Ukraine
31. Siverskyi Region of Ukraine Regional Development Agency
32. Center for Reforms and Local Development
33. Open Data Association
34. DEJURE Foundation