On 26 October 2016, the Council of Europe and the European Union presented to the media in Kyiv the mid-term results of their projects for Eastern Partnership countries, including Ukraine.
The five country-specific projects carried out in Ukraine under the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) in 2015-2017, focus on strengthening human rights standards, penitentiary reform, freedom of media, fighting corruption, and supporting free and fair elections. The total budget of these projects is 3.9 million Euros. The projects are funded by the EU and the Council of Europe, and are implemented by the Council of Europe.
Verena Taylor, Director of the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes of the Council of Europe, said in her opening speech: “The Programmatic Co-operation Framework is the main mechanism for the Council of Europe and the EU to work together in order the support the implementation of the domestic reform agenda in Eastern Partnership countries, and to bring their national legislation and practice in line with European standards in the field of human rights, rule of law and Democracy. Our activities in Ukraine are based on the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Ukraine, and take into account the goals of the Association Agreement or other EU priority documents.”
Under the project to fight against corruption in Ukraine, that is running from January 2016 until December 2017 with the budget of 1 million euros, Council of Europe’s experts provided advice on draft anti-corruption legislation, have helped to build management capacity of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and enable it to exchange data with other state institutions. NABU leadership and staff received mentoring and training to be able to act as investigators. The Council of Europe together with the Ukrainian authorities has developed General Rules of Ethical Conduct for Civil Servants and Local Government Officials of Ukraine. A corruption risk assessment methodology and anti-corruption programmes for the public sector were developed.
Under the project on strengthening the implementation of European human rights standards in Ukraine, that is carried out from January 2015 to December 2016 with a budget of 1.7 million euros, expert advice on legislation was provided, including on the law on personal data protection; 70 newly appointed staff of the National Police Human Rights Directorate, and 2,700 police investigators in nine regions of Ukraine were trained on human rights standards; distance learning courses for legal professionals were developed to introduce the European Convention of Human Rights provisions and the case-law of the European Court into their work.
Under the project to support the penitentiary reform in Ukraine, that is carried out from January 2015 to December 2017 with a budget of 1 million euros, the Council of Europe experts commented on six draft laws advocating rehabilitation approaches towards prisoners. On 6-7 September 2016, four of the drafts were signed into laws creating more humane conditions in penitentiary establishments, including through modifying visiting arrangements and system of incentives and penalties, as well as facilitating contacts with the outside world. The Ukrainian Parliament has asked for further support in the revision of other laws.
Under the project on media freedom in Ukraine, that is running from January 2016 until 20 December 2016 with a budget of 177,000 euros, the capacity of the National TV and Radio Broadcasting Council of Ukraine was strengthened in the implementation of the law on transparency of media ownership, digital switchover, imposition of sanctions on broadcasters, transition from licensing to permissions system, and oversight of the public broadcast sector. Together with the Parliament Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Policy, hearings on community media perspectives in Ukraine were organised.
Under the project on supporting free and fair elections in Ukraine, running from January 2015 to December 2017 with a budget of 88,000 euros, an opinion on the amendments to the Law "On Elections of People's Deputies of Ukraine" was prepared by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.
In addition to these country-specific projects, Ukraine also participates in 14 regional initiatives covering all Eastern Partnership countries.
For more information see http://eap-pcf-eu.coe.int
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