The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) adopted in its entirety Law No. 8224 on National Minorities, which is one of the main requirements for Ukraineʼs application to the European Union.
The law should improve the implementation of the rights of national minorities and the principles of state policy towards them. In particular, it concerns the rights to self-identification, the use of languages of national minorities, to education, to participation in political, economic, social and cultural life, etc.
The law was finalized on the basis of the conclusion of the Council of Europe and in cooperation with its experts.
- On August 30, the Verkhovna Rada voted in the first reading of the draft law on media. Its adoption is one of the requirements of the European Union for the start of accession negotiations.
- On June 23, Ukraine officially became a candidate for membership of 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.