Key facts
- The bill was initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of Ukraine's anti-corruption commitments tied to EU membership.
- Adoption is a necessary step toward completing Ukraine's accession to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials.
- President's Office Head Kyrylo Budanov said the bill means tougher penalties and fulfillment of EU accession commitments.
- Serhii Ionushas, head of the parliamentary law enforcement committee, said the bill closes legislative gaps and strengthens accountability.
Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a bill on November 10 that tightens penalties for bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions. The bill was initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky and is part of Ukraine's efforts to combat international corruption and meet its commitments on the path to European Union membership.
The measure covers cases in which foreign public officials are offered or given bribes to secure favorable contracts or other improper advantages in international business dealings. Its adoption is a necessary step toward completing Ukraine's accession to the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, an OECD framework that provides for cooperation between countries in investigating corruption offenses.
"For Ukraine, this means tougher penalties for international corruption, strengthening the trust of our partners, and fulfilling our commitments as part of the European Union accession negotiations," President's Office Head Kyrylo Budanov wrote on social media. Serhii Ionushas, head of the parliamentary law enforcement committee, said the bill aims to improve criminal and criminal procedure laws, strengthen accountability mechanisms and close legislative gaps.