(MENAFN- UkrinForm) This is stated in the draft text of the EU Enlargement Report concerning Ukraine seen by Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

The report, expected to be adopted today, says that "despite the very difficult circumstances the country finds itself in on account of Russia's war of aggression, Ukraine continued to demonstrate remarkable commitment to the EU accession path over the past year".

While praising Ukraine for launching a reform process, the European Commission will also note in the report that Kyiv needs to make more progress in ensuring judicial independence, combating organized crime, and respecting civil society.

EU officials have previously voiced concern over steps taken in July to increase the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's control over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

“Rare wartime protests led Ukraine's leadership to quickly reverse course, but the episode caught the attention of Ukraine's supporters in Brussels and EU capitals,” Reuters writes.

"Recent negative trends, including a growing pressure on the specialised anti-corruption agencies and civil society, must be decisively reversed," the Commission said in the draft text.

Although nearly all EU governments publicly support Ukraine's EU aspirations, there are currently no plans for the country to join the bloc in the near future, and many diplomats acknowledge that Ukraine's accession will face significant obstacles.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have indicated to the EU that they intend to complete accession talks by the end of 2028. In response, the European Commission said that this would require intensified efforts from Kyiv, the article notes.

"The Commission is committed to support this ambitious objective but considers that to meet it an acceleration of the pace of reforms is required, notably with regards to the fundamentals, in particular rule of law," the draft report emphasizes.

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The Commission will also propose stronger protection of democratic standards in future rounds of enlargement.

“To ensure that new Member States continue to safeguard and maintain their track record on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, the Commission considers that future Accession Treaties should contain stronger safeguards against backsliding on commitments made during the accession negotiations,” it said.

As reported, Ukraine applied for EU membership a few days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kyiv insists on moving forward in accession talks despite the challenges of war and Hungary's blocking of the official transition to the next negotiation stage.

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