Ukraine launches NPAA development as a major effort toward EU accession

With the support of Ukraine2EU, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has officially launched the process of drafting the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) – a key reform management tool and an instrument to track Ukraine’s readiness for EU membership.

The NPAA is a central strategic document for planning full alignment of the candidate country’s legal and institutional systems with EU standards, chapter by chapter of the EU acquis (legal acts). It codifies and incorporates the results of the legislative screening and analysis of relevant EU law into a concrete and comprehensive nationwide action plan. It identifies which EU acquis needs to be adopted, which state institutions are responsible for implementation, how and when legislative harmonization will take place, as well as how and when these legal changes will be implemented.

The opening sessions on May 8-9 brought together civil servants responsible for shaping and implementing the NPAA across Cluster 1, which includes the fundamentals of EU accession – the rule of law, economic governance and public administration reform.

“This is our first major meeting on the document that will form the basis of the entire process of Ukraine’s EU membership. We have chosen an approach where the adaptation programme will be filled in gradually as the negotiations progress. Thank you to everyone who participates and takes responsibility”, – Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration – Minister of Justice of Ukraine, emphasized opening the event and launching the NPAA development process.

Representatives of international technical assistance projects – EU Public Finance Management Support Programme for Ukraine, Strengthening Ukraine’s EU Accession in the Rule of Law GIZ Ukraine, EU Project Pravo-Justice, EU 4 PAR, Reform Delivery Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine – also provided their input, sharing the findings of screening reports, explaining how to determine EU law relevant to Ukraine, and elaborating on how they will provide further assistance.

“At this stage of the NPAA development, we provided methodological support to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and facilitated inputs from other technical assistance projects. There is a lot of work ahead, but we are there to support you,” – said Mante Makauskaite, Ukraine2EU Team Leader.

🧩 During the two sessions, participants explored the concept of the NPAA, its structure and implementation logic, and the approach to identifying relevant EU legal acts for transposition into Ukrainian legislation.

“How do we define success for 2025? It is completing the planning of EU acquis transposition across all chapters and clusters. The next cycle – legal transposition, implementation, and institutional development – will demand even a more systematic approach. This is a shared effort, and I deeply value the collaborative attitude in getting the NPAA right from the very start,” – said Darius Žeruolis, Ukraine2EU Senior Expert for NPAA development.

These meetings mark a major shift – from identifying what needs to be done for Ukraine’s successful EU accession to designing how it will be done. As Ukraine further builds the legal and institutional foundations for EU membership, the NPAA will serve as the central framework for strategic planning, coordination, and accountability. Ukraine2EU is there to support Ukrainian institutions in this complex task.