On January 29, 2026, Kyiv hosted a regular meeting of the Steering Committee of the European Union Project “Support for Justice Reforms in Ukraine (Pravo-Justice III)”. Deputy Chairman Oleh Koliush represented the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine at the event.
The event was opened by Project Manager Oksana Tsymbrivska, her deputy Olha Sribniak, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine Gaël Veyssière, Head of the European Integration, Governance and Rule of Law, Civil Society Department of the European Union Delegation to Ukraine, Asier Santillán Luzuriaga, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
During the meeting, the Project management presented the results of the second half of 2025: support for judicial authorities within the framework of the “Judicial Reform” component, as well as achievements in the context of other Project components – “Prosecutorial Reform and Prosecution of International Crimes”, “Execution of Court Decisions and Protection of Property Rights”, “Support for the European Integration Process in the Justice Sector”, and “Combating International Crimes”.
Representatives of key judicial institutions, in particular the Supreme Court, the High Council of Justice, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine and the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine, spoke on judicial reform issues.
Deputy Chairman of the Commission Oleh Koliush presented the results of the HQCJ’s work for the reporting period to the participants. In particular, he spoke about the successful conduct of qualification exams for candidates for the positions of local court judges in July – September 2025. Thanks to the technical support of the Project, it was possible to organise simultaneous testing of more than 300 persons at two locations. He also reported on the creation of software for automating data exchange with state registers and analytical processing of information about judges and candidates.
Mr Koliush highlighted the current challenges related to the formation of the Expert Council under the HQCJ in connection with the establishment of specialised administrative courts, as well as the coordinating role of the Project in ensuring effective interaction between the Commission and the members of the Council. The joint strategic session with the Public Integrity Council, which helped to identify priorities for 2026 and develop comprehensive approaches to solving key problems, was positively assessed.
The Project’s support contributed to expanding the Commission’s participation in public and international initiatives, as well as presenting Ukrainian judicial governance practices at the European level. Expert assistance in preparing analytical materials for professional training of judges and assessing professional development programmes formed the basis for shaping the Commission’s long-term policy in line with EU standards.
“For Ukrainian judicial authorities, the EU Project “Pravo-Justice” is a reliable partner with a deep understanding of processes, attention to detail and respect for the principle of institutional sustainability”, – Oleh Koliush emphasised.
The participation of a representative of the HQCJ in the meeting of the Steering Committee of the EU Project “Pravo-Justice” demonstrated the Commission’s openness to constructive international dialogue and its consistent focus on implementing judicial reform in line with European standards, which is an important component of Ukraine’s European integration commitments.
For reference: The European Union project “Support for Reforms and Digitalisation of the Justice Sector in Ukraine (PRAVO-JUSTICE III)”, implemented by Expertise France, promotes the development of the rule of law in Ukraine in accordance with European standards. The Steering Committee brings together key international experts, representatives of the EU Delegation to Ukraine and the Embassy of the French Republic, and Ukrainian authorities to coordinate reforms in the justice sector. Every six months, the Committee meets to summarise its activities over the previous six months, discuss reports and draw up plans.