The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement Activities recommended that the parliament adopt in the first reading and as a whole draft law No. 15056, which provides for the criminalization of bribery of foreign officials in international business transactions.
The document was submitted by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and is part of the implementation of Ukraine’s international obligations after joining the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials.
Ukraine adopted the corresponding Law No. 4811-IX on Ratification of the Convention on March 10, 2026. It will enter into force simultaneously with the adoption of draft law No. 15056.
The document provides for amendments to the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Law “On Prevention of Corruption” to bring Ukrainian legislation into line with international OECD standards and European Union requirements.
The draft law expands the concept of “foreign official”. It will cover any persons who hold elected or appointed positions in foreign government bodies, perform state functions or work in state-owned enterprises, as well as representatives of international organizations.
After the adoption of the amendments, bribing any foreign official or international parliamentarian will become a criminal offense in Ukraine, regardless of whether the relevant international organization is affiliated with Ukraine.
A separate block of changes concerns legal entities. The draft law provides for increased liability for successor companies to make it impossible to avoid punishment through business reorganization.
The document also introduces additional requirements for companies to prevent corruption. Managers and authorized representatives of legal entities will be required to implement anti-corruption programs and monitor compliance with anti-corruption legislation when operating in international markets.
In addition, the amendments to the CPC provide for the possibility of appealing the restrictions applied to legal entities within the framework of criminal proceedings.
The explanatory note notes that the adoption of the draft law is an important stage in Ukraine’s European integration and the fulfillment of obligations within the framework of negotiations on accession to the EU, in particular under the cluster “Fundamentals of the EU accession process” and the chapter “Justice, Freedom and Security” of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.
