Ukraine's accession to EU will require amendments to Constitution

Ukraine will need to introduce amendments to the Constitution on the way to EU membership, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice, has stated.

"EU law must be implemented in our legislation. In addition, Ukraine's accession to the EU will require changes to Ukraine's Constitution. The principles governing state institutions will need to be reformed," Stefanishyna said in an interview with European Pravda.

She emphasised that constitutional amendments are unavoidable due to the need to implement rulings from the European Court of Justice and apply EU regulations, which will become directly applicable to Ukraine.

"Naturally, it is possible that these amendments to the Constitution will come into force when Ukraine joins the EU. However, we must begin preparing now to ensure that our entire legal system is ready for this transition," Stefanishyna concluded.

She also advised anticipating challenges not only from Hungary on Ukraine's path to EU membership.

In addition, Stefanishyna shared her expectations that Ukraine will be able to open two clusters in the EU accession negotiations in the first half of 2025.

She also explained why combining the positions of deputy prime minister for European integration and minister of justice in Ukraine was necessary. The merger was intended to streamline the alignment of Ukraine’s legislation with EU law by consolidating these responsibilities under a single leadership. This consolidation is designed to optimise administrative resources and enhance coordination between the deputy prime minister’s duties related to EU integration and the Ministry of Justice's role in implementing legal reforms.