The Rada Has Tightened Penalties for International Corruption: What Will Change
NABU and the SAP welcomed the Verkhovna Rada’s adoption of a law that brings Ukrainian legislation into compliance with the provisions of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.
The law strengthens liability for international corruption and is a prerequisite for Ukraine’s accession to the Convention.
In practice, the law opens up new opportunities for law enforcement agencies to engage in international cooperation when investigating corruption crimes and establishes an effective mechanism for holding individuals accountable for bribery in international business transactions. Furthermore, its adoption represents another step toward bringing Ukraine into alignment with the standards of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union.
Ukraine continues to consistently integrate the OECD’s anti-corruption standards into national policy and is moving toward full membership in the organization.
As a reminder, in 2022, a presidential decree established a special working group comprising representatives of the government, law enforcement agencies, and parliament. The group’s secretariat was established within the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) is an international organization comprising 38 countries. The OECD serves as a think tank and developer of international standards that the EU uses in shaping its policies. The processes of accession to the OECD and the EU complement and accelerate one another.
In 2026, the Government of Ukraine resubmitted its application for membership in the Organization, which is currently under review by the OECD.
This was reported by NABU.
As a reminder, 24 schemes involving the illegal legalization of foreigners were uncovered in Ukraine.
Eurojust is coordinating an international investigation into corruption in military procurement for NATO.
