Brussels, 23 July (LaPresse) – The President of the European Commission has contacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding "the adoption of the law redefining the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). President von der Leyen expressed her deep concern about the consequences of the changes and asked the Ukrainian government for explanations. This was reported by EU Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier, who stressed: "Respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are fundamental elements of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to fully comply with these standards. There can be no compromise.‘ ’We are very concerned about the adoption of the amendments to the Criminal Code in Ukraine. They risk significantly weakening the competences and powers of Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions. Both institutions, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), are widely regarded as pillars of the Ukrainian rule of law. These institutions are crucial to Ukraine's reform programme and must operate independently to fight corruption and preserve citizens' trust," he explains.
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