EU Project Pravo-Justice Digest. Issue No. 8 as of 5 August

5.08.2024 |

We are pleased to bring to your attention the latest issue of EU Project Pravo-Justice Digest. This time, we would like to brief you on the events from 15 June to 02 August 2024.

  • On 21-22 June, International Scientific and Practical Conference “Principles of Law: Universal and Domestic in the Context of Contemporary Globalization and European Integration Processes” was held. The discussion focused on the prospects for amending the Constitution of Ukraine and Ukrainian legislation in the context of Ukraine’s upcoming accession to the EU.

Virgilijus Valančius, Support to EU Integration Process in the Justice Sector Component Lead, drew the participants’ attention to the fact that the European Commission will closely monitor the progress of the legal education reform in Ukraine.

“Let us be fair, it will be impossible to achieve the rule of law as one of the EU’s fundamental values without qualified lawyers,” he emphasised.

  • On 8 July, at the event “Content and Form of Legal Monitoring”, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine presented a new procedure for conducting legal monitoring and an updated Online Monitoring Platform 2.0.

Asier Santillan Luzuriaga, Head of Section “Good Governance and Rule of Law” at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, said that the updated Online Monitoring Platform is an accessible, user-friendly and inclusive online tool that helps develop the rule of law in Ukraine. It is also valuable in the context of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.

“An online legal monitoring tool that operates in a transparent, accountable, inclusive and effective manner can contribute to improving the capacity of the Ministry of Justice and the Verkhovna Rada to implement a quality, evidence-based policy-making approach in the context of the accession negotiations in general,” he said.

  • On 9 July, a roundtable event “Implementation of a Comprehensive System of Support for War Crimes Victims and Witnesses in Ukraine” took place.

At the event, Deputy Prosecutor General Viktoriia Litvinova said that working with victims and witnesses calls for a comprehensive approach based on international best practices. She reminded the participants that last year, the OPG team developed and approved a framework for supporting victims and witnesses of war crimes and other international crimes. To implement this framework, the OPG established the Coordination Centre for Victims and Witnesses, which currently works with almost 1000 people.

  • On 10 July, the draft Integrity Policy of the State Property Fund of Ukraine developed with the expert support of EU Project Pravo-Justice was presented. This document aims to set high ethical and transparency standards in the functioning of the SPFU.

According to Iryna Zharonkina, when developing the draft Integrity Policy of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, the experts of EU Project Pravo-Justice were guided by the best European experience to ensure that the Fund’s operations in the field of state property management meet the highest standards of efficiency, transparency and social responsibility.

  • On 11 July, the first meeting of the Steering Committee of EU Project Pravo-Justice Third Phase took place, where the results of six-month work were presented and plans for the future were discussed.

Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation Programmes, EU Delegation to Ukraine, said that EU Project Pravo-Justice is the EU flagship programme. It has been supporting Ukraine in reforming the justice sector for many years. In the context of the official launch of the negotiation process on Ukraine’s accession to the EU, as well as the implementation of the Ukraine Facility plan, the role of the Project is growing even more.

“Many donors support judicial reform, but on Ukraine’s path to the EU, it is the EU Project Pravo-Justice that is a key programme, which, in particular, should coordinate other aid,” he emphasised.

  • On 12 July, EU Project Pravo-Justice together with the Competition Law Committee of the Ukrainian Bar Association held a round table event “Bankruptcy.net/Business Reboot: Preventive restructuring as a key to success”.

Iryna Zharonkina, Enforcement and Protection of Property Rights Component Lead of EU Project Pravo-Justice, noted that introducing a preventive restructuring mechanism is not only a part of Ukraine’s commitments regarding European integration, but also part of the Ukraine Facility plan. According to her, in terms of preparing for the implementation of Directive 2019/1023, Ukrainian MPs, the regulator and stakeholders are much more efficient than their counterparts in EU Member States.

  • On 19 July, an international conference “Communication of the Judiciary: One Voice as a Tool for Building Trust” was held with the support of EU Project Pravo-Justice.

According to Oksana Tsymbrivska, Team Leader of EU Project Pravo-Justice, effective, high-quality and unified communication of the judiciary is a critical precondition for building public trust towards judicial institutions.

“When the judiciary speaks with one voice, it not only informs and explains its intentions and actions, but also strengthens its credibility in the eyes of the public in its decisions. Ultimately, this contributes to strengthening the rule of law, which is essential for Ukraine on its path to EU membership,” considers Team Leader of EU Project Pravo-Justice.

  • On 24-27 July, the VIII International Forum “Mediation and Law” was held with the support of EU Project Pravo-Justice. This year, more than 400 participants took part in the event.

Opening the Forum, Luiza Romanadze, President of the Ukrainian Academy of Mediation, reminded the participants that this year is the 30th anniversary of mediation in Ukraine. On this occasion, the Forum presented an online exhibition – 30 Years of Mediation Development in Ukraine: History and Future. According to Luiza Romanadze, it demonstrates the myriad of developments accomplished over this time.

  • On 29 July, with the support of EU Project Pravo-Justice, Taras Liutyi, a well-known Ukrainian philosopher and writer held a moderated lecture-dialogue “Values and Essenses” for Members of the High Council of Justice and HCJ Secretariat staff.

“We hope that such events will help judiciary representatives better understand their professional mission and find new pillars for moving forward, particularly in the context of European integration. After all, the EU is ultimately about values and mindset,” said Oksana Tsymbrivska, Team Leader of EU Project Pravo-Justice.

  • On 1 and 2 August, a training seminar “Introduction to the European Integration Process: Chapters 23 and 24 of EU Law” was held with the support of EU Project Pravo-Justice.

Maya Grubišin, an international expert of EU Project Pravo-Justice, delivered a session on clusters 23 and 24 of EU law to the representatives of the Ministry of Justice involved in preparing for the negotiation process and shared Croatia’s experience of successful negotiations on the path to EU accession.

  • On 2 August, EU Project Pravo-Justice presented a Manual on the Rule of Law Case Law of the Court of Justice, which was produced by the Project experts, Tetiana Komarova, Chair of EU Law Department at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, and Adam Lazowski, Professor at the Westminster School of Law.

This Manual is vital in preparing for negotiations on Chapter 23, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. The Manual contains a summary of the most significant judgments of the Court of Justice in the rule of law cases and aims to help the judiciary to better prepare for bilateral meetings.

Download the Manual here.