ACCESS CONTROL ENTRY IS CORRUPT FREE

In June 2021, US President Joe Biden declared corruption a national security threat. Such measures would also significantly reduce European vulnerability to RussiaвЂ™s use of corruption as a weapon in the KremlinвЂ™s ongoing hybrid war against the West. ExploreД«y closing loopholes for dirty money and placing restrictions on the oligarchs and officials responsible for corruption in Ukraine, the EU can play a key role in assisting the countryвЂ™s ongoing transition towards the rule of law and further Euro-Atlantic integration. Explore our events, debates, and flagship discussions below. The Eurasia Center regularly convenes with regional leaders and key global figures to galvanize international support for a free, prosperous, and peaceful future in Eurasia. It is now the job of the European Commission to identify the most suitable legal framework.Д¬onvening & connecting Eurasia Center events The answer could be qualified majority voting, as the EU parliament suggests. With this in mind, a more innovative approach is needed that does not require unanimity in order to impose entry bans and a range of other restrictions. Given the wealth and influence of the key figures fueling corruption in Ukraine, it is highly likely they would be able to find individual EU members willing to block sanctions. However, the EU Magnitsky Act does not currently envisage corruption as grounds for the introduction of sanctions.ДЇurthermore, the EU procedure for introducing personal sanctions is notoriously cumbersome and can be vetoed by any one of 27 EU member states. Some might argue that the recently adopted EU Magnitsky Act could potentially be used to impose personal sanctions. Unlike the US, Brussels does not currently have a flexible and quick procedure in place to prevent those accused of serious corruption or their family members from traveling to the EU or engaging in economic activity there.

ACCESS CONTROL ENTRY IS CORRUPT FREE

However, Kolomoisky still enjoys free access to the EU. This ban also extended to his wife, daughter, and son. Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly banned Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky from entering the United States for allegedly corrupt conduct and undermining democratic progress in Ukraine. The recent ECA report points to the US as an example of how entry bans can be used to fight corruption. UkraineAlert is a comprehensive online publication that provides regular news and analysis on developments in UkraineвЂ™s politics, economy, civil society, and culture. Subscribe for the latest from UkraineAlert Understandably, losing this access to the EU is a nightmare scenario for them that threatens to undermine the lavish lifestyles and sense of impunity they and their families have long since grown used to. The ability of corrupt figures in Ukraine to travel, acquire assets, and invest freely throughout the European Union is a key motivating factor for them to continue their damaging practices while also working to prevent any progress towards the rule of law in their home country. Many simply buy EU citizenship in Cyprus or Malta through entirely legal investment visa procedures. The people benefiting from such schemes donвЂ™t need to worry about investing into the education, healthcare, or infrastructure of Ukraine as their family members are usually studying in London, doing their shopping in Vienna, relaxing in France, and receiving healthcare treatment in Germany. This is the classic playbook of corrupt elites in Ukraine. Rob your countryвЂ™s natural resources, defraud taxpayers, and milk state monopolies then secretly siphon the proceeds of corruption to the safety of the EU using shell companies together with an army of Western lawyers and other willing service providers. This access is enabling corruption in Ukraine and must be targeted. The Ukrainian oligarchs and corrupt officials who obstruct reforms at home currently enjoy unhindered access to the EU.

In order to make genuine progress, the report concluded that the European Commission must work with EU member states to prevent Ukrainian oligarchs and others suspected of grand corruption from traveling or using their assets within the EU.ДЄs a representative of UkraineвЂ™s civil society who has been actively engaged in the countryвЂ™s anti-corruption efforts for the past eight years, I wholeheartedly welcome the reportвЂ™s conclusions and believe the proposed restrictive measures could potentially have a game-changing impact. In late September, the European Court of Auditors issued a damning report criticizing the ineffectiveness of the European UnionвЂ™s anti-corruption initiatives in Ukraine.

Access control entry is corrupt