Meeting with the EU Commissioner, 28 September, 2015
The working meeting of Mr Sergii Koziakov, Chairman of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine and Mrs Věra Jourová, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Member of the European Commission and Mr Jan Tombiński, Head of Delegation, Ambassador Extraodinary and Plenipotententiary.
The meeting was also attended by Mr Stanislav Shchotka, Secretary of Qualification Chamber of the Commission, Mr Andrii Vasylenko, Commission Member, Mrs Polina Kazakevych, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Commission Secretariat and Mr Andrii Spivak, Sector Manager for Justice, EU Delegation to Ukraine.
The participants discussed current situation and priorities of judicial reform in Ukraine according to Article 84 of the Law of Ukraine “On Judiciary and the Status of Judges,” as amended by the Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring the Right to a Fair Trial” and in light of the constitutional amendments.
In particular, Members of the Qualification Chamber of the Commission in detail told about qualification assessment of judges, which currently is in process of implementation. The Chairman of the Commission noted that the Commission developed and on 21 August, 2015 sent for approval to the Council of Judges of Ukraine Regulation on Examination Procedure and its Evaluation Methodology.
Mr Sergii Koziakov stressed that one of the priorities of the Commission is the transfer of judges of local courts from uncontrolled Ukrainian territories of Donetska and Luhanska oblasts.
During the meeting Mrs Jourová, on behalf of the European Union, supported the efforts of Ukrainian side in holding judicial reform as a key element of internal reforms. The EU Commissioner also marked importance of proper functioning of justice system as the basis for economic development which may become an impulse to investments attraction within EU-Ukrainian Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.
The Commissioner also took interest in implementation results of the project of international technical assistance work and asked about further needs for launching the projects in the area of judicial reform.
