Yesterday, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine did not support any of the four candidates for the positions of Judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) under its quota. The candidates had been pre-selected by the independent Advisory Group of Experts, which includes international representatives, and recommended by the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy under the new competitive procedure — part of Ukraine’s commitments to the European Union.

The appointment of Constitutional Court judges is one of the seven criteria identified by the European Commission for opening Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.

In case of a failed vote, the law does not provide for the automatic resubmission of the same candidates — the entire procedure must start over. This could significantly delay the appointments and raise doubts about Ukraine’s ability to meet its EU integration obligations within the agreed timeline.

The incomplete composition of the Constitutional Court threatens its capacity to perform constitutional review effectively — a function that is critical for maintaining the rule of law and ensuring the effective implementation of reforms.