Ukraine records 20% progress on EU interim benchmarks
Independent monitoring reveals that Ukraine has completed approximately 21% of the interim requirements for EU accession, with anti-corruption efforts leading the way while judicial reforms lag behind.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
The Ukrainian Centre for European Policy has released initial findings from an independent expert monitoring program that assesses Kyiv's progress toward EU accession. The study, titled EU Interim Benchmarks: Ukraine’s Progress under Chapters 23 and 24, evaluates the nation's advancement in meeting the interim benchmarks set by the European Union. These benchmarks are critical because no negotiating chapter can be provisionally closed until Ukraine satisfies the requirements for the Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and Justice, Freedom and Security chapters and receives a positive assessment from the European Commission.
The monitoring data indicates that the overall level of progress against these interim indicators stood at 20.9% at the end of the first half of 2026. The progress recorded under Chapter 23 was 20.3%, while Chapter 24 showed a slightly higher figure of 21.4%. Analysts caution that these figures should not be interpreted as Ukraine having already met one fifth of all benchmarks. Instead, the percentage reflects the completion of intermediate steps, including the drafting of bills, the establishment of institutions, and the demonstration of sustainable reform results.
The study highlights significant disparities across different reform areas. The fight against corruption recorded the highest score at 29.1%, followed by cooperation on drugs at 25% and the fight against organised crime at 24.9%. In contrast, fundamental rights showed the lowest progress at 11.9%, with migration, asylum, Schengen, and external borders closely behind at 11%. These differences are attributed to the nature of the tasks involved, with institutional and organisational changes advancing faster than legislative amendments or the demonstration of long-term practical results.
Legislative progress remains a bottleneck for Ukraine’s EU integration efforts. The monitoring identified more than 30 bills pending before the Verkhovna Rada that are relevant to meeting the EU’s interim requirements. Only five of these bills have passed their first reading. Additionally, three bills were automatically withdrawn following the government’s resignation in July 2026 and have not yet been resubmitted to parliament. This legislative delay is particularly challenging because around three quarters of the interim benchmarks require amendments to existing legislation.
Tasks that require a sustained track record of results, such as final convictions in high-level corruption cases, have received the lowest scores. For many of these indicators, systematic collection of statistical data is only just beginning, making it difficult to assess trends reliably. While institutions can be established or laws adopted quickly, verifying practical effectiveness requires tracking the work of relevant authorities over a longer period. This distinction is crucial for understanding why some areas appear to be lagging despite active reform efforts.
The anti-corruption sector leads the progress largely because it has been a focus of Ukraine-EU relations for many years. The core institutional framework is already in place, allowing current efforts to concentrate on independence, capacity, and practical outcomes. In the realm of organised crime, Ukraine is making strides in financial investigations and international cooperation, though effective investigations and final convictions remain weaker points. Fundamental rights face challenges related to new regulatory frameworks and longstanding issues in the penitentiary and institutional care systems.
To accelerate progress, the study recommends that parliament prioritize the consideration of bills related to the interim benchmarks. Particular attention should be paid to tasks that overlap with the 10-point reform plan on the rule of law and anti-corruption agreed upon in December 2025. A key example is the Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026-2030, which is relevant to multiple processes but has not yet been placed on the Verkhovna Rada’s agenda. Completing competitive selection procedures and strengthening internal control systems are also identified as high-priority actions.
The 20.9% assessment serves as a baseline for future evaluation rather than a final judgment. It does not replace the official assessment by the European Commission, which will be published in the annual enlargement report. The current figures must be interpreted in light of data availability limitations, particularly under martial law. Further progress will depend on the adoption of necessary legislation, the completion of institutional changes, and the ability to demonstrate that these changes are delivering tangible, measurable results in practice.
