A New Phase of PravoJustice4EU Project Has Officially Started in Ukraine

On 21 October 2026, a high-level event entitled ‘PravoJustice4EU: A New Phase of Support for Ukraine on Its Path to the EU’ took place in Kyiv, marking the official launch of PravoJustice4EU Project.

The event brought together international partners, representatives of key bodies and institutions within Ukraine’s justice sector, civil society organisations, and other members of the legal community involved in reforming the justice sector, strengthening institutional resilience, and supporting Ukraine’s European integration.

PravoJustice4EU is a project designed to support Ukraine’s justice system on its path to European integration and to ensure accountability for international crimes. The Project focuses on bringing the justice system into line with EU standards, strengthening justice institutions, and ensuring accountability for core international crimes.

“Ukraine continues to reform its justice system even in the midst of a full-scale war. This is a matter of protecting people’s rights, trust in the state and our European future. The rule of law is the cornerstone of Cluster 1, ‘Foundations of the EU Accession Process’, in the EU accession negotiations. The opening of all clusters, the fulfilment of interim benchmarks in the area of the rule of law, and their assessment within the IBAR framework are important milestones in our work. But our goal is much broader. We must ensure a functional, stable justice system that, above all, our citizens can trust. The previous stages of cooperation with Pravo-Justice laid an important foundation for this work. PravoJustice4EU is continuing this work,” said Vsevolod Chentsov, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

“We are grateful to the Project for always hearing the needs of Ukrainian partners and responding to them promptly. I am convinced that the new phase of PravoJustice4EU will contribute to the further implementation of reforms in the justice sector, the strengthening of the rule of law and the alignment of Ukrainian institutions with European standards. Our joint efforts are of vital importance not only for fulfilling Ukraine’s European integration commitments, but also for delivering tangible results for citizens – through a more effective justice system, stronger institutions, and greater trust in the state,” said Denys Maslov, Minister of Justice of Ukraine, in his special video address to the event’s participants.

”European integration is not simply about fulfilling a list of commitments or adopting legislation. It is about changing how our institutions function in practice and making sure there is public trust in the justice system. We greatly appreciate the support of our European partners on this journey. While Ukraine benefits enormously from European expertise and experience, it is also ready to share its own practices in investigating international crimes and ensuring justice in the context of a full-scale war. I am convinced that this new phase of cooperation within the framework of PravoJustice4EU will yield even more concrete results for long-term changes that will endure even after the war has ended. After all, Ukraine is defending its European future every single day and paying the ultimate price for it, which is human lives. We therefore have no right to settle for mere formal reforms. It is our duty to build state institutions worthy of this sacrifice,” said Anton Kovalskyi, Acting Prosecutor General.

Opening the event, Gediminas Navickas, Chargé d’Affaires at the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, emphasised the key role of the rule of law and the justice system in Ukraine’s EU accession process.

“Justice sector reform is an integral part of Ukraine’s European path. This is not merely a matter of meeting formal membership criteria, but of strengthening independent, effective, and accountable institutions that citizens trust. The European Union will continue supporting Ukraine in implementing reforms in the area of the rule of law and in moving closer to EU standards. PravoJustice4EU Project will be one of the key instruments of this support,” said Gediminas Navickas.

One of the key areas of intervention for PravoJustice4EU Project will be supporting the implementation and coordination of the Rule of Law Roadmap, as well as broader reforms in the justice system required for Ukraine’s accession to the EU. The Project will contribute to the harmonisation of Ukrainian legislation with the EU acquis, and to strengthening the institutional capacity of the judiciary and the public prosecution system, as well as other justice sector institutions.

H.E. Brice Roquefeuil, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine, emphasised the long-term nature of French support for Ukraine and the importance of joint European efforts to strengthen the rule of law.

"France keeps supporting Ukraine not only in confronting the Russian aggression, but also in building a strong, democratic, and European state. An independent and effective justice system is one of the foundations of this process. Through PravoJustice4EU Project, France, together with the European Union, will continue to provide Ukraine with expert and practical support to implement the reforms necessary for EU membership, and to ensure accountability for international crimes", stated the Ambassador.

The second key focus of PravoJustice4EU Project is to support Ukraine’s efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for core international crimes in accordance with European and international standards, as well as to promote a holistic approach to transitional justice.

Presenting the Project, Erick Martinville, Team Leader of PravoJustice4EU Project, emphasised that Phase 4 continues the long-standing cooperation with Ukrainian partners, whilst focusing on new priorities – supporting Ukraine’s accession to the EU, implementing the Rule of Law Roadmap, strengthening justice sector institutions, and ensuring accountability for international crimes.

“PravoJustice4EU is not starting from scratch. We are building on nearly a decade of partnership with Ukrainian justice system institutions and the experience gained during the Project’s previous phases. At the same time, the current phase has a clearly defined new objective: helping translate Ukraine’s European commitments into concrete, sustainable changes in the functioning of the justice system and promoting Ukraine’s capacity to ensure accountability for international crimes. It is of fundamental importance to us that the results of these reforms are felt first and foremost by the citizens of Ukraine,” said Erick Martinville.

Two panel discussions took place during the event. The first was dedicated to key decisions and obstacles in implementing the Rule of Law Roadmap, whilst the second addressed the transition from isolated efforts to a systematic approach in ensuring accountability for international crimes. Representatives from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the High Council of Justice, the Supreme Court, the public prosecution service, the National Police, and the free legal aid system took part in the discussions.

PravoJustice4EU Project will run from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2030. Its total budget is €21 million, of which €20 million is provided by the European Union and €1 million by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The Project is being implemented by Expertise France.

The Project is being carried out in partnership with institutions of the Ukrainian justice system, respective state authorities, professional associations of legal professionals, vocational training institutions, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organisations, and is ultimately aimed at Ukrainian citizens.

Background information.

PravoJustice4EU Project is the fourth phase of EU Project Pravo-Justice, which continues its operation under a new name. The three previous phases of the Project were implemented in Ukraine between 2017 and 2026. Pravo-Justice had become, in turn, the successor of the EU Project ‘Support for Justice Sector Reforms in Ukraine’, which was implemented between 2014 and 2017. PravoJustice4EU thus continues the EU’s decade-long support for strengthening the rule of law in Ukraine.