EU-LEAP Opposes Restricting the Autonomy of Anti-Corruption Bodies

Draft Law No. 12414 substantially changes the procedural powers of NABU and SAPO, effectively subordinating them to the Prosecutor General's Office. This contradicts legislation that guarantees the institutional autonomy of anti-corruption bodies, and does not comply with Ukraine's commitments under the Association Agreement with the EU and the European Commission's recommendations on preserving the independence of the anti-corruption infrastructure.

🧨 Key risks we see:

• centralization of procedural control over NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors in the hands of the Prosecutor General's Office;

• violation of the principle of independence of investigations in high-level corruption cases;

• decreased trust from international partners regarding the transparency and integrity of the law enforcement system.

❗️ Amid Ukraine's full-scale war and its path toward European integration, any steps that undermine the independence of anti-corruption institutions create systemic threats both to domestic legal stability and to external support.

📝 EU-LEAP has joined the signing of a joint statement by civil society organizations regarding the elimination of the independence of anti-corruption institutions. We call on the President of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada to reconsider these changes and restore legal balance in the anti-corruption system!