On 30–31 March 2026, the Second Annual Intergovernmental Conference within the framework of the Ukraine–Netherlands dialogue on supporting Ukraine’s integration into the European Union was held in the city of Breda (Kingdom of the Netherlands).
Chair of the High Council of Justice Hryhorii Usyk expressed gratitude to the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its unwavering support for Ukraine and its consistent assistance in implementing reforms necessary for Ukraine’s progress toward European Union membership.
During the meeting of the working group on the rule of law and accountability, the Chair of the High Council of Justice informed participants about the specifics of the HCJ’s exercise of its powers, particularly in forming a judiciary of integrity and conducting disciplinary proceedings. He emphasized that the key function of the HCJ is to ensure judicial independence and uphold the authority of justice.
In his address, Hryhorii Usyk stressed the importance of developing cooperation between judicial governance bodies of Ukraine and the Netherlands. He noted that the practical implementation of the cooperation project with the Council for the Judiciary of the Netherlands is currently focused on the development and implementation of a multi-year strategy of the High Council of Justice.
Among the key areas of work is the preparation of an action plan for optimizing the court network in Ukraine. This issue is particularly relevant in the context of Ukraine’s European integration commitments, as the updated court network must be implemented within one year after the termination of martial law and aimed at ensuring proper access to justice for citizens.
Priority areas of cooperation include the development and implementation of the integrity policy of the High Council of Justice, with a focus on adherence to ethical principles, as well as further improvement of procedural rules for effective judicial proceedings.
Following the conference, Ukraine and the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed a joint communiqué, available via the link.
Participants in the meeting of the working group on the rule of law and accountability included, among others: Chair of the High Council of Justice Hryhorii Usyk; Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalization Olha Riabukha; Chair of the Council for the Judiciary of the Netherlands Henk Naves; Judge and Vice President for International Cooperation and Rule of Law of the Netherlands Esther de Rooij; Deputy Minister for European Integration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Helen Bakker; Deputy Minister of Justice and Security of the Netherlands Anneke van Dijk; Head of the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine Maksym Pampura; Deputy Head of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine Oleh Koliush; and Head of the Judicial Career, Disciplinary Liability and Judicial Independence Department of the HCJ Secretariat Yuliia Lukasevych.