Adaptation of Ukrainian Legislation to the Legislation of the European Union: Current Status and Prospects

Abstract. The article examines the current state and prospects for adapting Ukrainian legislation to European Union law. It finds that the term “adaptation of legislation” has increasingly been used to describe the process of harmonizing and aligning a candidate country’s national legislation with EU acts, standards, and rules. Since participants in the European integration process must implement and comply with EU legislation, legal adaptation has become a key stage in ensuring the incorporation of European Union standards into national legal systems. This process involves modifying existing legal norms, creating new regulatory acts, reforming institutions and authorities responsible for implementing legislation, and fostering changes in societal culture and consciousness to uphold European standards and values. The study concludes that the essence of adapting Ukrainian legislation to EU law lies in amending and implementing national legislation to ensure compliance and harmonization with EU requirements. Legislative adaptation is a fundamental obligation under the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, which outlines commitments necessary for Ukraine’s eventual EU membership. This agreement, in terms of scope and thematic coverage, is the most extensive international legal document in Ukraine’s history and the largest international agreement the EU has ever concluded with a third country. It establishes a qualitatively new framework for Ukraine-EU relations based on the principles of “political association and economic integration”, serving as a strategic roadmap for systemic socio-economic reforms in Ukraine. Keywords: adaptation, European integration, adaptation of legislation, legislation of Ukraine, legislation of the European Union.