Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Removed13. Welcomes the implementation by Ukraine of the Priority Action Plan for 2023-2024 and the adoption of the legislation necessary to reform the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine;

Added49. Is deeply concerned about the recent discovery of intelligence-gathering activities by Hungarian security agencies in the south-western Zakarpattia region of Ukraine; expresses regret at Hungary’s systematic policies aimed at undermining Ukraine’s self-defence efforts and exploiting issues related to the Hungarian minority in Ukraine for political gain, thereby hindering Ukraine’s progress towards EU integration;

Removed14. Recalls the adoption of the Law on Local Public Service in 2023 and encourages the Ukrainian Government to adopt a systemic approach to forthcoming public administration reforms by establishing a clear vision and structured implementation strategy;

AddedSocio-economic reforms

Removed15. Encourages Ukraine to make progress on the approval of draft law No. 4298 with a view to aligning local state administration reforms with EU standards, by establishing a balanced legal framework for supervision in line with the principle of proportionality and the European Charter of Local Self-Government that does not violate the competences, prerogatives and self-governing functions of local authorities; recalls its demand for the introduction of a legal personality for local and regional public authorities;

Added50. Welcomes the implementation by Ukraine of the Priority Action Plan for 2023-2024 and the adoption of the legislation necessary to reform the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine allowing it to combat tax evasion and economic crime more effectively;

Removed16. Calls on Ukraine to continue making progress in the implementation of the Ukraine Plan, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/792;

Added51. Recalls the adoption of the Law on Local Public Service in 2023 and encourages the Ukrainian Government to adopt a systemic approach to forthcoming public administration reforms by establishing a clear vision and structured implementation strategy; emphasises the need to build up the institutional and administrative capacity required to secure the long-term success and impact of the accession-related reforms, not only in legislation, but also in practice; welcomes the recent adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Draft Law No. 8222, which standardises the remuneration system for civil servants, aiming to improve governance efficiency while aligning it with European standards for public service management;

Added52. Encourages Ukraine to make progress on the approval of the amendments to the law on local state administration, including draft law No. 4298 with a view to aligning local governance reforms with EU standards; calls for a balanced legal framework for administrative supervision that respects the principle of proportionality and the European Charter of Local Self-Government, while safeguarding the competences, prerogatives and self-governing functions of local authorities; reiterates its call for the formal introduction of legal personality for local and regional public authorities;

Added53. Calls for continuous progress in decentralisation reform and the strengthening of self-governance on the local level; welcomes the launching of the Phase III of EU and Member States supported U-LEAD, which is focused on enhancing local self-government and fostering a resilient recovery at the local and regional levels; stresses the importance of ensuring that any future constitutional or institutional reforms, including electoral and decentralisation reforms, are conducted transparently, inclusively, and in line with Venice Commission recommendations;

Added54. Welcomes Ukraine’s achievement of key milestones and calls on Ukraine to continue making progress in the implementation of the Ukraine Plan, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/792, while upholding the values and standards upon which it is based; stresses the need for the Commission to maintain conditionality, particularly regarding pillar III of the Facility, to ensure sustainability and accountability in the reform process; underscores that the strong momentum in the implementation of reforms is driven by the broad societal consensus and the conditionality of the Ukraine Facility;

Added55. Welcomes the continued support for civil society organisations through the Ukraine Facility’s Civil Society Window and encourages Ukraine to ensure that financial reporting requirements do not unduly restrict the activities of civil society organisations; underlines the importance of meaningful engagement with civil society and local authorities to ensure effective implementation and quality reforms under the Ukraine plan; encourages Ukraine’s judicial authorities to strengthen existing mechanisms, including through judicial action, to protect civil society activists; urges Ukraine to ensure that financial reporting requirements and the regulation of beneficial ownership of legal entities does not unduly affect the functioning and independence of civil society organisations; welcomes the continued support for civil society organisations through the Ukraine Facility’s Civil-Society Window;

Added56. Underlines that Ukraine’s reconstruction must be closely linked with its EU accession reforms and guided by principles of social fairness, sustainability, transparency and local ownership; stresses, furthermore, that Ukraine’s reconstruction must be rooted in robust rule of law, transparent governance and democratic inclusion; emphasises that judicial reform, anti-corruption efforts and public administration improvements are not only conditions for EU accession but also fundamental to attracting investment and restoring trust among Ukraine’s partners and citizens; calls for the integration of gender-sensitive approaches in all reconstruction efforts, including increased representation of women and minorities in decision-making processes; calls on the Ukrainian Government to ensure transparency in the implementation of ‘RebuildUkraine’, and with respect to the consultation and participation of civil society and at-risk groups in society, in particular as regards respect for fundamental rights and rule of law, as well as non-discriminatory distribution and use of EU funds;

Added57. Highlights the essential role played by the EU’s Ukraine Facility and the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loan programme, which together provide over EUR 30 billion in 2025 in support of Ukraine’s public services, macro-financial stability and reform agenda; calls for continued and enhanced financial support for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, including through a new macro-financial assistance package to meet Ukraine’s expected EUR 39 billion budget shortfall; notes, in addition, that Ukraine’s financial and economic resilience remains a core prerequisite for sustaining its defensive capacity and reform process; calls, therefore, for solutions to be considered to alleviate Ukraine’s foreign debt burden;

Added58. Takes note of the US-Ukraine economic partnership agreement on critical minerals and acknowledges the agreement’s affirmation of long-term US support for Ukraine’s security and reconstruction, and notes the intention, expressed in the agreement, to safeguard Ukraine’s EU accession process and related obligations, and to ensure compatibility with Ukraine’s commitments to international financial institutions or other official creditors; calls on the Commission to invite both parties to further clarify how the provisions intended to safeguard Ukraine’s EU integration path will be implemented, and to report regularly on their compatibility with Union law; considers it essential that the exploitation of minerals under this agreement fully respect high social and ecological standards and that compliance is ensured through robust control mechanisms; expects, furthermore, Ukraine to fully incorporate relevant EU environmental legislation, including the Water Framework Directive and the Directive on the management of waste from extractive industries, into its national legal framework;

Added59. Recalls that EU enlargement must ensure that accession does not result in the exploitation of candidate countries’ natural resources or contribute to social inequality and environmental degradation;

Added60. Welcomes Ukraine’s progress in partially adopting animal welfare legislation, albeit with significant delays to the commitments made under the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area; encourages Ukraine to make further progress in adopting Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport, taking into account the ongoing revision of this legislation within the EU, which is crucial for meeting EU production standards and facilitating increased exports of animal-based products to the EU; calls for the EU and its Member States to provide Ukraine with financial and technical assistance in this regard;

Added61. Highlights the resilience and importance of the agricultural sector (19 % of GDP, 53 % of goods exports) but underlines the need to diversify value chains and the benefit of swiftly adopting EU phytosanitary standards; underlines the importance of environmental safeguards in ensuring the green recovery of Ukraine; calls on the Commission to further support Ukraine with the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment procedures, in particular in the forestry and agriculture sectors, and Strategic Environmental Assessment procedures; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to further support Ukraine in building administrative capacity for the full implementation of the EU environmental acquis, including public participation in decision-making, and in aligning its legislation with the Renewable Energy Directive, in particular the sustainability criteria for bioenergy;

Added62. Calls on the Verkhovna Rada and the Ukrainian Government to amend Law No. 12089, which allows the legalisation of land ownership illegally withdrawn from the state, including forests and water bodies, to private individuals, which is not in line with EU acquis as the law in its current form includes legal uncertainties that will make the return of such land to the state impossible;

Energy, the environment, sustainable development and connectivity

Change 11

Removed17. Welcomes the substantial progress made on energy sector reforms and Ukraine’s alignment with the objectives of the European Green Deal;

Added63. Welcomes the substantial progress made on energy sector reforms and Ukraine’s alignment with the objectives of the European Green Deal and encourages Ukraine not to backtrack in this regard; underlines the need to further bolster Ukraine’s energy security by deepening its integration into the EU energy market – including through the synchronisation of Ukraine’s electricity grid with continental Europe and enhanced cooperation on gas storage and supply – as well as by accelerating the deployment of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures; stresses that strengthening the resilience of critical energy infrastructure remains key to Ukraine’s economic stability and strategic autonomy;

Removed18. Commends Ukraine for adopting its national energy and climate plan;

Added64. Underscores that Ukraine has substantial potential as a provider of energy and energy-intensive products to the rest of Europe; encourages, therefore, Ukraine to continue developing energy interconnections with neighbouring Member States and regional partners, such as the Republic of Moldova, with a view to further integration in the EU energy market; recognises that Russia’s war of aggression has targeted and destroyed relevant networks and plants; urges Ukraine, therefore, to use reconstruction to build back better, using the most climate-friendly technologies and processes wherever possible, investing in renewable energy sources and energy-efficiency, and minimising the impact on the environment throughout the production chain; welcomes the Commission’s continued engagement in this area to support Ukraine’s energy sector reform, including reconstruction and green transition; calls for the advancement of the implementation of existing commitments under the Ukraine Plan and the Energy Community packages, including the unbundling of regional energy distribution companies;

Removed19. Recommends that the Commission swiftly open negotiating clusters with Ukraine to advance the country’s EU membership bid at the fastest pace possible, subject to its continued implementation of the EU acquis and the completion of the reforms it has undertaken;

Added65. Encourages Ukraine to explore the most cost-effective and reliable solutions for Ukraine’s energy sector, following Russia’s attacks on its energy infrastructure, for example by replacing, to the extent possible given the ongoing war, its fossil fuel power plants with decentralised and sustainable energy technologies; calls on the Commission and the Ukrainian authorities to strategically use the funds under the Ukraine Facility to prioritise investments in renewable energy sources, which are critical to ensure long-term energy security, environmental sustainability and economic resilience both in Ukraine and in the rest of the continent;

Removed20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

Added66. Expresses grave concern over Russia’s detrimental influence within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), despite its repeated violations of the IAEA’s core principles of nuclear safety and non-interference; calls for the EU and its Member States to advocate for greater scrutiny of Russia’s role within the IAEA and to explore reforms to ensure that aggressor states cannot undermine the neutrality and credibility of international nuclear oversight;

Added67. Underlines that the Russian war of aggression amounts to an ecocide that has caused severe and long-lasting damage to Ukraine’s environment, including the destruction of ecosystems, contamination of water and soil, and the targeting of industrial and energy infrastructure; considers their international recognition as war crimes crucial to ensure full legal accountability for Russia and consequent compensation for Ukraine and calls for a comprehensive environmental recovery strategy to be supported by the EU as part of Ukraine’s reconstruction; calls for the EU and its Member States to give full support to all initiatives documenting the environmental destruction caused by Russia’s war and to back efforts for accountability and compensation in foreign jurisdictions;

Added68. Commends Ukraine for adopting its national energy and climate plan, and coordinating and planning energy and climate policies by 2030, with specific targets including a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and an increased share of renewable energy; supports the ongoing efforts of the Energy Efficiency Fund and the newly established Decarbonisation Fund; calls for the EU and the Member States to ensure the financial sustainability of these instruments, particularly in the context of reconstruction and integration of renewables in housing; encourages Ukraine to integrate the just transition principle into energy reforms to mitigate social impact and support vulnerable groups;

Added69. Urges the Commission and Member States to include nuclear safety as a central component of Ukraine’s recovery and EU integration strategy, ensuring alignment with the EU acquis on nuclear energy and radiation protection under the Euratom framework; supports the strengthening of Ukraine’s nuclear safety and radiological emergency response capabilities as a central component of Ukraine’s recovery and EU integration strategy, including through technical and financial assistance from the EU and international partners; calls for the establishment of an EU-led initiative to reinforce nuclear security, safeguard critical infrastructure, and prevent radiological incidents stemming from Russian aggression; expresses grave concerns at attempts by the Russian Federation to de facto annex Ukrainian critical infrastructure including credible public reports that it intends to sever the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) from the Ukrainian electricity grid and forcibly integrate it into the Russian energy system, which would violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and international law and pose a significant risk to nuclear safety; urges the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military personnel and equipment from the premises of the ZNPP and all other nuclear sites in Ukraine and calls on the IAEA to publicly and unequivocally oppose any such plans; stresses that the integrity and resilience of Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure is not solely a national issue, but a shared European responsibility; calls for coordinated contingency planning and increased cross-border cooperation among EU Member States to respond to potential nuclear threats emanating from Russian actions in Ukraine;

Added70. Urges Ukraine to effectively fight illegal logging in accordance with sustainable forestry management and environmental protection standards, such as illegal logging in the primeval Carpathian forests; calls for the EU to contribute to the prevention of illegal logging in connection with the unlawful Svydovets ski resort project; encourages Ukraine to invest in ecologically and environmentally safe and sustainable tourist infrastructure;

Added71. Calls on the Commission to assist Ukraine in maintaining progress towards a high degree of sufficiency of its Emerald Network concerning the Areas of Special Conservation Interest;

Added72. Welcomes the fact that EU-oriented exports accounted for 63 % of total exports in 2024, up from 42 % in 2021, reflecting successful trade re-orientation;

Added73. Notes the strategic importance of developing and expanding railway corridors linking Ukraine with the EU through the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), serving both civilian and military logistical purposes as part of a broader dual-use infrastructure strategy; encourages continued efforts to align Ukraine’s digital and transport standards with those of the EU, thereby facilitating trade, mobility and secure communication; stresses that improved connectivity will support Ukraine’s economic recovery and integration;

Added74. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to allocate all the necessary funds to enhance intended transport connectivity and resilience in Ukraine up to 2050, including the further updating of the TEN-T maps; welcomes the successful development and implementation of the Solidarity Lanes, which have enabled Ukraine to bypass Russia’s Black Sea blockade and export a variety of goods to global markets via the neighbouring EU Member States and Moldova; commends the fact that, despite the war atrocities incurred and the significant drop in its grain production, Ukraine played a key role in preventing a global food crisis, as via the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ humanitarian food programme, launched by President Zelenskyy in 2022, more than 170 000 tonnes of wheat have been provided to countries experiencing the worst food crises, particularly in Africa; notes that the vast majority of Ukraine’s grain exports are destined for developing countries;

Added75. Acknowledges the progress of Ukraine’s integration into EU transport and digital connectivity initiatives and highlights the importance of alignment with the EU acquis in these areas; welcomes in particular the steps taken to include Ukraine in the EU’s free roaming area, eliminating mobile roaming charges between Ukraine and the EU for citizens and businesses;

Added76. Underlines the importance of strengthening connectivity, interoperability, and the capacity of digital and IT systems between the EU and Ukraine in line with the Association Agreement; calls for continued efforts to harmonise digital policies, expand cybersecurity cooperation, and ensure resilient and secure digital infrastructure; welcomes, in this regard, the conclusion of a working arrangement in December 2023 between the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity and the Ukrainian cybersecurity authorities;

AddedOn accession negotiations

Added77. Recalls the decision of the European Council of 14–15 December 2023 to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, marking a historic milestone on Ukraine’s path towards EU membership; commends the swift convening of the first EU-Ukraine Intergovernmental Accession Conference on 25 June 2024, which officially launched the negotiation process and welcomes Commissioner Kos’s assessment that all screenings could be completed by autumn 2025;

Added78. Recognises Ukraine’s significant reforms and commitment and therefore recommends that the Commission swiftly open negotiating clusters with Ukraine to advance the country’s EU membership bid at the fastest pace possible, subject to its continued implementation of the EU acquis and the completion of the reforms it has undertaken; underlines that accession negotiations should follow a clear and transparent path, guided by objective and measurable criteria; stresses that these must include in-depth reforms in all fundamental areas and the functioning of stable institutions that uphold democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and particularly the respect for and protection of minorities; underscores the Commission’s recommendations for the coming year;

Added79. Calls on the Hungarian Government and the Member States to act in good faith when resolving any issues similar to those related to the Ukrainian Law on National Minorities, and to refrain from using such issues as a reason to block Ukraine’s accession to the EU; calls therefore on the Hungarian Government to no longer block the start of the first clusters of negotiations and allow Ukraine and its neighbour Moldova to continue progressing together on their path towards EU membership;

Added80. Recalls that the enlargement process must not be instrumentalised to settle bilateral disputes or delay a merit-based approach, and that such issues should be resolved independently of the accession track and through constructive dialogue and genuine cooperation; recalls that excessive delays on the path toward full EU membership risk undermining both public support and the political resolve within the candidate country;

Added81. calls, in preparation for negotiations, for continuous EU support, particularly in the form of expert assistance to offset any administrative shortcomings resulting from ongoing aggression against Ukraine; urges the EU, furthermore, to provide technical assistance to help Ukraine meet all accession requirements efficiently; regrets the decision by the US Government to withdraw funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which has already directly affected support in Ukraine for critical reform processes, including those related to the rule of law, anti-corruption, public financial management, economic development, energy security and the delivery of humanitarian assistance; welcomes the efforts by the Commission and international partners to address the most urgent gaps left by this withdrawal of funding;

Added82. Stresses, before Ukraine’s EU accession, the need for increased EU support to accelerate Ukraine’s integration through targeted financial and technical assistance programmes and underlines that both Ukraine and the EU would benefit from progressive integration of the country into EU policies and programmes, alongside the formal accession negotiations;

Added83. Notes that the complexity of Ukraine’s EU integration, due to its size and the ongoing war, presents challenges in key areas such as agriculture, and necessitates significant institutional and financial reforms within the EU to ensure its capacity to absorb Ukraine; calls, therefore, for the EU and its Member States to proactively address these challenges, clearly communicate the benefits of Ukraine’s integration to EU citizens, find sustainable and equitable solutions for sensitive sectors, and pursue necessary internal reforms in parallel with the ongoing accession negotiations; calls on the Commission to support the sectors most exposed to the impacts of trade liberalisation in the context of Ukraine’s accession; notes, at the same time, following the experience of previous rounds of enlargement, that there may be a need for transition periods in certain specific sectors in which the full acquis does not yet apply in order to allow current Member States to adapt; reiterates its call on the Member States to demonstrate a clear and unequivocal political commitment towards the enlargement process and not to misuse it to settle bilateral disputes, which should be resolved independently of the accession track;

Added84. Repeats its calls to enhance the EU’s capacity to act by reforming its decision-making, including through the introduction of qualified majority voting in the Council on the intermediate steps in the accession process, in particular at the start of negotiations and the opening and closing of individual negotiating clusters and chapters;

Added°

Added° °

Added85. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President, Government and Parliament of Ukraine, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council and the Commission.