Civil Network OPORA (Ukraine), in close cooperation with the Institut für Europäische Politik (Berlin), launch the project “Pathways to Progress: Germany-Ukraine Dialogues on Rule of Law for EU Accession.” The project promotes political dialogue between Kyiv, Berlin, and Brussels on the rule of law and fundamental values in the EU integration process.
The enlargement methodology revised by the EU Commission in 2020 places a particularly strong focus on rule of law principles and fundamentals. Progress in these areas, which are bundled in the so-called “fundamentals cluster” will therefore determine the overall pace of accession talks. Close cooperation and the exchange of experience with EU member states such as Germany, as one of the founding countries, are crucial for a successful accession process. Intensive dialogue, particularly concerning Chapters 23 and 24, covering key aspects of the rule of law, is essential.
The project promotes a structured political dialogue in the core chapters of the „fundamentals cluster“ to develop a common understanding of the necessary legal and institutional reforms. It enables trustful exchange between governments and parliaments to identify potential bottlenecks and jointly develop solutions for the progress of negotiations. In addition, national and international experts from civil society are actively involved in the process. The focus is on securing electoral democracy in accordance with the rule of law, promoting judicial reform, and the legal framework for migration, also with regard Ukraine's human capital.
A kick-off conference in Berlin, two closed-door discussions, two parliamentary network meetings, and two multi-stakeholder meetings in Kyiv, Berlin, and Brussels will take place during the almost 1.5-year span of the project. Its results will be published in the form of analyses.
The project is funded through the project ‘Strengthening Ukraine's EU Alignment in the Rule of Law’ (3*E4U) of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office.