”The EU integration process and the reforms it requires are part of our dream: a journey toward democracy,” says Viktoriia Melnyk.
Melnyk is the Head of International Relations and European Integration in the Centre for Policy and Legal Reform (CPLR). The organisation facilitates institutional reforms in Ukraine for strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and good governance. By Ukrainian standards, CPLR is a long-standing institution, with nearly 30 years of experience.
EU membership requires Ukraine to align its legislation with EU standards. Most of the necessary reforms concern the so-called fundamental chapters of the accession negotiations, such as the rule of law and tackling corruption. More precisely, they fall under Chapters 23 on Judiciary & Fundamental Rights and Chapter 24 on Justice, Freedom, and Security.
To advance the reforms, the Ukrainian government has drawn up the Rule of Law roadmap. Among the many ongoing efforts, Melnyk highlights the reform of the Constitutional Court as particularly crucial. At the core is the independence of the court and ensuring that political considerations no longer dictate the appointment of judges.
”We introduced the new legislation for the competition procedure for the Constitutional Court, and we already have three new judges – all of them brilliant scholars”, Melnyk notes.
”We hope that by the end of this process, the Constitutional Court will be the institution that makes the most important decisions, guiding the next steps in the constitutional reforming process and making us much more effective in the rule of law area.”
Despite the scale of the reform agenda and limited resources, Ukraine benefits from strong support. The Rule of Law Centre, together with CPLR and the German organization Democracy Reporting International (DRI), is involved in the ACCESS project (Achieving Compliance and Cooperation for EU Justice Standards in Ukraine), which provides Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice with technical support for implementing reforms and examples of best practices.
“We also conduct analyses, review Ukraine’s legislation and identify priorities for the EU-required reforms. We want to support our government, because we know that civil servants are truly overwhelmed,” says Melnyk, who serves as project manager of ACCESS.
The interview takes place in Helsinki at the end of September, during Melnyk’s participation in the third Rule of Law Clinic of the ACCESS project. This session focused on the practical organization of the judiciary, such as the functioning of regional courts. Over three days, Ukrainian participants engaged with Finnish experts in the gathering organized by the Rule of Law Centre.
Launched at the end of 2024, the project has already held two clinics: one on the comprehensive reform of the judiciary, and the other on legislative drafting. Topics for the second year are still under discussion, and according to Melnyk, the ACCESS steering group can flexibly address the most timely and critical issues for Ukraine.
Melnyk warmly praises the Rule of Law Clinic concept, which she calls “a perfect way of running a project.”
“The clinics are not just lectures by Finnish experts, but also about dialogue and discussion. We start to view issues from different perspectives.”
Melnyk stresses the importance of seeing real-life examples of what reforms can achieve – not just to implementing changes for their own sake.
“When we hear how certain solutions have been reached in Finland, we gain inspiration and can reflect on our own options. These reforms are never about copying directly,” she says.
She recalls a visit to the Helsinki District Court during the clinic as particularly eye-opening. “It was useful to see how the justice system works in practice, but also, for example, how the courthouse facilities are designed. In Ukraine, we still face many problems with court premises.”
The third partner in the ACCESS project, Democracy Reporting International, brings a broader European perspective, especially lessons from other EU candidate countries.
“They have experience in places like the Western Balkans and Moldova. Some countries are ahead of us in negotiations, and learning from their journey is very helpful to us,” Melnyk explains.
Beyond knowledge, the clinic work also provides valuable professional networks.
“Fortunately, we don’t only work online and see each other on screens – we actually meet. I hope these connections remain after the project ends, so people can continue to cooperate, consult, and exchange views,” Melnyk says.
“Participation in the Rule of Law Clinics is also important for many Ukrainians because until recently EU integration was a field in which very few had expertise. People are open to new knowledge and skills.”
For Melnyk – and other participants – visits to Helsinki are also a strong reminder of Finland’s support for Ukraine: not only in the EU process but also in the broader struggle for a better future.
“Every time we come to Helsinki, we see Ukrainian flags flying across the city. That means a lot to us and makes us feel we are not alone.”
Melnyk emphasises the importance of Finnish experts serving as role models in defining shared values. It is also essential that the meetings allow for discussions on a wide range of topics, not only the formal work.
“This helps us to build a new, European mindset. Exchanging ideas matters, because in the middle of war we tend to focus only on one issue or one day at a time, and that does not lead to progress.”
Melnyk believes that Finland – repeatedly ranked the happiest country in the world – gives Ukrainians hope and a vision of the future: “This kind of lifestyle is possible, too.”
“We want to be part of the prosperous democratic world, not of the dark side that gravitates toward autocracy,” Melnyk stresses.
Despite the challenges, Viktoriia Melnyk remains hopeful about Ukraine’s EU membership. This summer, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blocked the continuation of membership talks. Since progress requires the unanimous agreement of all EU member states, Ukraine must wait.
“It is especially unfair that we are blocked by a country that itself is not among the leading rule-of-law states,” she notes. “We hope the EU will find a solution to this.”
For now, Melnyk underlines the importance of actually implementing the reforms set out in Ukraine’s Rule of Law roadmap. “We don’t know when the membership negotiations will reopen, but when they do, we must be ready,” she says.
“We also understand that we are making these reforms primarily for ourselves – for the citizens of Ukraine.”
ACCESS – Ukraine initiative is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, is aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s legal capacity to align with EU justice standards as part of its EU accession negotiations. 2024–2026 this project will provide critical technical support to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, specifically targeting Chapters 23 on Judiciary & Fundamental Rights and Chapter 24 on Justice, Freedom, and Security.