The EU sharply criticizes NACP: why Brussels demands an urgent audit

Since the start of the political crisis related to "Mindichgate," public and media attention has been focused on the work of NABU and SAPO. However, as reported by ThePublic.info, citing the NACP press service, in this context, another anti-corruption body is increasingly being mentioned — the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP). This is the only institution that appears in the published audio recordings.

In one of the recordings, a person with the call sign "Tenor" (probably Dmytro Basov) says the phrase: "Twenty went to NACP" — which could refer to $20,000. There are no official confirmations or details at this time, but NACP head Viktor Pavlushchik stated that he takes the situation seriously and is ready to find those responsible in case of violations.

Against this backdrop, the Verkhovna Rada discussed the need for an urgent audit of NACP. Concerns were also expressed by representatives of the European Union — which is an unusually sharp reaction, considering that as recently as last year, Brussels called the agency a "model body" of Ukraine's anti-corruption system.

In the new EU report for 2025, there is already mention of "doubts about the impartiality of NACP and the effectiveness of its work." In European bureaucratic language, this means harsh criticism and a signal of very high alert.

According to Deputy Executive Director of Transparency International Ukraine Kateryna Ryzhenko, last year's shadow report also contained criticism of NACP, but after considering the EU government's position, the EU agreed to give the agency a chance. This year — the situation has changed: the demands of the shadow report have almost seamlessly transitioned into the official EU position.

One of the reasons is believed to be the reaction of NACP to the July crisis. During the government's attack on NABU and SAPO, the agency did not defend them, even though it is responsible for forming the country's anti-corruption policy.

The main contradiction — audit

The EU insists on an immediate external independent assessment of NACP's effectiveness, but Kyiv is not rushing to implement it.
Kateryna Ryzhenko states that the Ukrainian side is deliberately delaying the process:

"The delay is solely on Ukraine's part. We need to develop a new methodology, and the Ministry of Justice must approve it. Partners have already provided their proposals — but they are lying idle," — says the expert.

She also emphasizes that the current audit methodology is ineffective and cannot be repeated. NACP, on the other hand, denies this — Deputy Head of the agency Dmytro Kalmikov considers the current evaluation system sufficient and opposes changes.

Thus, we have an open confrontation between Kyiv and the EU regarding one of the key points of the European integration requirements. The EU's shadow report also emphasizes that a significant part of the recommendations from the first NACP audit has yet to be implemented, and some practices have even worsened after the leadership change in 2024.