Budgetary control MEPs conclude mission to Kyiv

A delegation from the Budgetary Control Committee concluded a two-day visit to Kyiv, showing solidarity with Ukraine and meeting key stakeholders overseeing public fund use.

On 21 and 22 July, the delegation, led by Committee Chair Niclas Herbst (EPP, DE), met with NGOs, investigative journalists, prominent members of the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada), Members of the Government, and leaders of public institutions. The delegation also visited an EU-funded project supporting female veterans, active servicewomen, and volunteers. Members paid their respects at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine.

The delegation also included Esteban González Pons (EPP, ES), Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA, DE) and Jonas Sjöstedt (The Left, SE). A recording of the press briefing at the end of the mission will soon be available here.

Following the visit, Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) Niclas Herbst said: “The first objective of this mission, and by far the most important one, was to show up in person and to send a signal of solidarity and support for Ukraine in times where the Russian attacks intensify and where the population is getting increasingly exhausted by the ongoing war. In the face of the Russian war of aggression waged for almost three and a half years by now, we must continue to support Ukraine in its fight for independence and democracy and for the respect of international law.

The second objective was to meet with key stakeholders in charge of scrutinising the use of public funds, in order to exercise CONT’s duty of scrutiny, given the large amounts of EU funds transferred to Ukraine.

The last objective was to reinforce a strong bond already established between the European Parliament and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and to establish new ties with other counterparts. All the objectives were met.

This mission took place in an unusual context, as a reshuffled government has just taken office. We take note of this change and remain confident that our good cooperation will continue, as discussions with newly appointed office holders has shown. Moreover, Ukrainian authorities are and have been intensively cooperating with European Union authorities to strengthen the way public money is managed and scrutinised. Mutual trust has been built over the years and this cooperation is functioning well.

Missions of the Committee on Budgetary Control are rarely a walk in the park for authorities that meet with Members, travelling to exercise their right and duty of scrutiny. Here, it was important to get reassurance that reforms in the field of rule of law and anti-corruption do not slow down, but that their pace will be kept-up, despite the enormous challenges of doing so under the conditions of a full-fledged war. The delegation heard from stakeholders on their will to continue to adopt and implement the required reforms. Now is the time to live up to promises made. In turn, they hope that these reforms will contribute to advance the negotiations for the accession to the EU. The delegation will convey this message back in Brussels, underlining also the link between the outcome of the war and the safety of the EU. Of course, the CONT committee will also continue to scrutinize the use of EU funds in Ukraine in the framework of the discharge procedure and will keep up the pressure that Ukraine is serious and thorough in its reforms in order to justify the continued financial support.

As in most countries that CONT Members visit on fact-finding missions, corruption is a pressing issue. In this regard, Ukraine is a country standing up to an oppressor and the work its people are managing to get done in this context is an accomplishment. Ukrainian authorities have been investing countless efforts in recent years to implement reforms. And when scandals break, it also means that anti-corruption bodies and oversight procedures are functioning. Discussions held during the mission allowed Members to get a detailed understanding of the state of play of these reforms and to witness the progress made. While a lot of work remains to be done, the commitment demonstrated by stakeholders is to be recognised. Now is not the time to go backwards and lose the momentum gained. Progress must continue. And the European Union must push for these reforms as well, even more so when other international partners are not doing so anymore and are pulling out their support, whether it is financial or administrative. Of course, yesterday’s vote in the Verkhovna Rada risks undermining the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) by putting them under the oversight of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The independence of anti-corruption bodies is key to their success.

Talking about corruption also requires to acknowledge that Ukraine is the target of important misinformation campaigns, aiming to reinforce negative narratives about the handling of public money in the country. For that reason, standing by Ukraine also means standing against misinformation. The focus has to be on the capacity and the willingness to actively fight corruption and not to deny its existence.

Complementary to the need to fight corruption is the need to respect the Rule of Law, which is a fundamental requirement of the EU accession process and an element of budgetary conditionality that has always been held high on the agenda by CONT Members. We are aware of the concerns raised by civil society organisations to us during our trip in Ukraine and we are monitoring the situation carefully. Ukraine has a vibrant civil society and media landscape and it must be preserved from political interference.

Now, the international community must gather to further support Ukraine in its fight against Russia and will need to also keep by its side during its reconstruction.”