EU signs the Council of Europe Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine
On 16 December, the European Union and 34 countries signed the Council of Europe Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine at a diplomatic conference co-hosted by the Council of Europe and the Netherlands in the Hague.
The Commission will form the second component of a comprehensive compensation mechanism related to Russia’s war of aggression, building on the existing Register of Damage for Ukraine. The Register, created in 2023, collects and records compensation claims submitted by individuals, organisations and public bodies in Ukraine. The Commission will review, assess and decide upon claims submitted to the Register - over 86,000 to date - and determine the amount of compensation, if any, which is due in each case.
The diplomatic conference was attended by leaders and high-level representatives from over 50 states, including HR/VP Kaja Kallas, and EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath. On the occasion, the HR/VP announced that the EU will provide €1 million to support the establishment of the Commission. She made it clear: “Everybody here today is on the same page. Russia will not escape the bill for the homes, schools, hospitals it has destroyed in Ukraine."
She added that after four years of war, more than 200,000 buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged, and some 2.5 million homes, houses and flats are no longer fit to live in. In this context, the Commission represents an essential step towards guaranteeing justice and accountability.
