Key takeaways
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Kick-off: On 8 May the Ministry of Justice held a two-day launch meeting in Kyiv to start drafting the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA).
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Strategic goal: Create a step-by-step plan for bringing every sector of Ukrainian law into line with EU legislation and practice.
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Adaptive approach: The programme will be updated cluster-by-cluster as accession talks progress, ensuring reforms stay relevant and measurable.
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Broad participation: Over 250 officials and EU-funded experts joined the event, including Deputy PM for European Integration – Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna and Deputy Justice Minister Svitlana Tereshchenko.
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Institutional impact: Beyond translating directives, the NPAA will outline the new institutions, staffing and budget changes needed for real-world implementation.
Why this matters
Ukraine’s NPAA will act as a single reference document for Brussels and for EU capitals when they assess Kyiv’s progress. Clear timelines and responsible agencies will:
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Streamline legislation, avoiding duplication across ministries.
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Unlock EU funding tied to specific reform benchmarks.
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Give business and civil society a transparent road map for advocacy and investment planning.
Next steps
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Working groups from all ministries will populate the NPAA with detailed actions, costs and deadlines.
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The first draft will focus on the “Fundamentals” cluster: rule of law, public procurement, financial control and statistics.
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Regular public dashboards will track completion rates to maintain political accountability.
Official view
“This is our first major working session on the document that will underpin the entire membership process. The NPAA keeps us focused on real change, not just declarations,”
Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Justice
Background
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The EU requires every candidate country to adopt around 80,000 pages of acquis communautaire.
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Ukraine secured candidate status in June 2024 and opened screening in November 2024.
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The government aims to submit the NPAA’s first full version to the European Commission by early 2026.
