2025 was a year when Ukraine moved from political declarations to deep technical work. It was a year of the “big screening,” tough negotiations in Brussels, and a stress test for our anti-corruption institutions. The Justice Hub UA team has prepared an end-of-year review of developments in the areas of Rule of Law and Security (Chapters 23 and 24).

So how did we get through this year?

I. The official track: Where are we now?

Ukraine completed the bilateral screening with the EU, which began back in July 2024. Ukraine has set out clear plans for adapting national legislation. This process allows the European Commission to assess how well prepared we are for membership and to build the technical foundation for further progress in negotiations.

A new Rule of Law Roadmap: The Government of Ukraine approved a comprehensive document containing 500+ concrete measures in the rule of law field. Importantly, the roadmap was developed with CSO participation and includes a number of proposals from civil society organizations—making it a shared action plan for both the state and society. Our Progress Tracker also recorded the implementation of a number of key indicators in 2025.

European Commission Report 2025: Ukraine demonstrated substantial progress on reforms and ranked among the top four enlargement countries most ready to join—despite ongoing Russian armed aggression. At the same time, for Chapters 23 and 24 Ukraine received an overall implementation rating of “some level of preparation” and a reform pace rating of “some progress.” (As a reminder, the infographics with ratings and comparisons to previous periods can be viewed here.) The EU also set out clear recommendations for Ukraine for 2026 in areas where further progress is needed.

II. Highlights of 2025

Green light for Fundamentals: Ukraine fulfilled all formal requirements to open Cluster 1, “Fundamentals of the accession process,” including drafting roadmaps in three areas: rule of law, public administration reform, and the functioning of democratic institutions. The Government also approved an Action Plan to protect the rights of persons belonging to Ukraine’s national minorities (communities). EU screening of Ukrainian legislation across the other five clusters has been completed as well.

Overcoming the “July crisis”: An attempt to place the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under the Prosecutor General called into question Ukraine’s commitment to the anti-corruption agenda and EU accession path. Through joint efforts by CSOs and international partners, NABU and SAPO’s independence was protected from risky legislative changes. This became a symbol of civil society unity and commitment to reforms and EU membership. At the same time, strengthening the independence and capacity of anti-corruption institutions—and law enforcement reform—remains on the agenda.

A temporary solution: “frontloading” alongside the opening of negotiating clusters. In December 2025, cluster negotiations began at the technical level and will continue in parallel with efforts to achieve EU unanimity on the formal opening of clusters—currently blocked by Hungary. This work has started for Cluster 1 (Fundamentals), Cluster 2 (Internal Market), and Cluster 6 (External Relations). It is expected that under Cyprus’s EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2026, similar work will begin for the remaining three clusters.

III. Three challengesand one wishfor 2026

What is the Government’s plan for 2026 in rule of law, anti-corruption, justice, freedom, and security? We will continue tracking progress on the Rule of Law Roadmap using the Progress Tracker. The roadmap is a key guide for both the government and CSOs.

What are the top 10 priority rule-of-law reforms for 2026? We draw attention to the December “Lviv Declaration” by EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka, and we will monitor implementation of these priorities.

When has the Government committed to adopting the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the State Anti-Corruption Program? By Q2 2026.

What will give us strength in 2026? We are convinced it will be faith in Ukraine’s victory and the joint action of civil society organizations—to produce high-quality analysis and recommendations for decision-makers, monitor reform progress, communicate successes and failures honestly, and move Ukraine together toward EU membership. So we wish everyone energy and resolve for our shared work to advance reforms on the path to the EU!

Want your analysis on Chapters 23 and 24 to appear on Justice Hub UA? To publish on the platform, please use the form. We are always open to collaboration!

To contact the platform administrators, please use the contact form.

Together to the EU! 🇪🇺🇺🇦

This initiative is implemented by EasyBusiness NGO in partnership with the project “Supporting Ukraine’s Approximation to the EU in the Field of the Rule of Law” (3*E4U), carried out on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.