The Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading of the draft law, which introduces transparent competition for the positions of judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. This law is one of the requirements of the European Union for the start of accession negotiations.
The press service of the Rada writes about it.
The draft law provides for the creation of conditions for transparent and fair competitions for the positions of judges of the Constitutional Court, which will prevent political influence on their appointment. Contests are provided for by the Constitution, but the mechanisms and rules of their holding are determined by separate laws and other documents.
Judges of the KSU have the right to be appointed by the President, the Verkhovna Rada and the Congress of Judges. All of them hold their own competitions according to their own requirements. The draft law proposes to create an Advisory Group of experts that will check all candidates. This group will include three representatives from Ukraine (1 each from the President, the Council, and the Congress of Judges) and three international experts. Candidates who do not receive recommendations from this group will be eliminated from the competition.
Also, parliamentary factions and groups will no longer have the right to nominate their candidates for the post of KSU judges. This means that anyone can participate in the competition from the Verkhovna Rada.
- On June 23, Ukraine officially became a candidate for membership in the European Union. The European Commission has approved certain conditions that Ukraine must fulfill in order to start official accession negotiations. Ukraine plans to fulfill them by the end of 2022.
- The candidate status gives Ukraine access to special financial funds of the European Union, at the expense of which reforms in countries are financed so that they meet the necessary criteria for full membership in the EU.