Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Strategy Drops Off Rada Voting Agenda, Putting €420 Million in EU Funds at Risk
Ukraine's parliament has for the second time removed the draft Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030 from its voting agenda because of a lack of votes. Payment of €420 million from the European Union is tied to its adoption.
The draft Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030 (bill No. 15230-d) has disappeared for a second time from the voting agenda of Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak reported the removal and cited a shortage of votes. The bill was registered on 27 July 2026 and has not yet passed even a first reading.
The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAZK) spent almost two years drafting the strategy together with state bodies and Ukrainian and international experts. The agency has posted an appeal on its website urging lawmakers to back the bill, noting that Ukraine has already missed the deadline agreed with the European Union: 30 September 2026.
Why the €420 million matters
Adopting the strategy is one of Ukraine's international commitments on the path to EU membership. It is set out in the rule-of-law roadmap, the interim EU-integration benchmarks and Ukraine's plan under the Ukraine Facility, a mechanism through which the EU pays funds in exchange for agreed reforms. A €420 million payment is linked to meeting the relevant indicator. It is not automatic: Ukraine must meet the conditions and the European Commission must confirm it.
Under the updated schedule, parliament was to adopt the strategy by the end of the third quarter of 2026, and the Cabinet of Ministers was to approve the State Anti-Corruption Programme by year-end. The first deadline has been missed. After reviewing three alternative bills, the parliamentary committee on anti-corruption policy and NAZK prepared a revised version, which the committee recommended for first reading.
Reconstruction costs and five risks
The fifth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5), prepared by Ukraine's government, the World Bank, the European Commission and the UN, puts reconstruction needs over the next decade at almost $588 billion. Reconstruction is for the first time a separate priority area in the draft strategy. NAZK and experts from Risk Scoring Center identified five systemic problems: no single strategic framework, decisions based on incomplete data, experimental procedures that weaken oversight, opaque prioritisation of public investment, and difficulty tracing the flow of money.
The strategy would address problems in 16 areas over five years, while the programme would name those responsible, deadlines and performance indicators.
