CSOs presented to the EC the Shadow Report to Chapter 23 "Justice and Fundamental Rights" produced with the support of EU Project Pravo-Justice
On 12 September, a coalition of CSOs presented to the European Commission the Shadow Report to Chapter 23 “Justice and Fundamental Rights” of the EC Report on Ukraine in 2023.
The report was produced by the Agency for Legislative Initiatives, Lawyer of the Future, Ukrainian Bar Association, Transparency International Ukraine, and Human Rights Centre ZMINA with the support of EU Project Pravo-Justice.
Oksana Tsymbrivska, Team Leader of EU Project Pravo-Justice, noted that this is the first time the Shadow Report on Chapter 23 has been published. It was produced due to the joint efforts made by a coalition of CSOs.
“The Shadow Report demonstrates the viewpoint of Ukrainian civil society, lawyers and experts actively involved in the reform process. It covers an assessment of the progress of reforms, identifies shortcomings and gaps to be addressed, and, most importantly, provides recommendations for further action,” said Oksana Tsymbrivska.
She emphasised that the Shadow Report provides a more holistic and transparent perspective on reform efforts undertaken by Ukraine and serves as an important tool for preparing for the accession negotiations for the EU and Ukraine.
Manfredas Limantas, Rule of Law Policy Officer at the European Commission, Ukraine Service, noted the outstanding quality of the Shadow Report and congratulated the CSOs on this achievement. He emphasised that the European Commission will use this report, mainly when drawing up recommendations for the Rule of Law Roadmap.
“This report is very well-timed for our work with Ukraine. I strongly hope that its key recommendations will be incorporated into the Roadmap,” said Manfredas Limantas.
To recap, the Shadow Report analyses the present state of affairs, progress achieved by Ukraine or current challenges in the following areas:
- Judicial reform (Agency for Legislative Initiatives);
- Fight against corruption (Transparency International Ukraine);
- Захист основоположних прав та свобод (Human Rights Centre ZMINA);
- Public prosecution reform (Lawyer of the Future);
- Bar reform (Lawyer of the Future);
- Legal education reform (Ukrainian Bar Association).
The experts who produced the Shadow Report provided about 350 recommendations that will help solve the most pressing current challenges in reforming these areas.