The Working Party on the Enlargement of the European Union (COELA) again did not approve the screening results related to clusters 2 and 3 of the accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. According to diplomatic sources in Brussels, Hungary did not support this decision at the meeting on July 22, so the issue was postponed to September 1, VG reports, writes UNN.
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This is already the second unsuccessful attempt in a week. This issue was also on the agenda on July 17, but no agreement was reached then either.
Budapest previously stated that it would be ready to support the opening of cluster 3 in the case of Moldova, but not in the case of Ukraine. This decision was ultimately not approved by the majority of member states, so the decision was also not adopted.
The current postponement means that a new negotiation cluster for Ukraine will definitely not be opened before the summer holidays, the publication writes.
On July 14, cluster 6, "External Relations," was already opened in Brussels after Hungary lifted its previous veto on it. Then-Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European Integration Taras Kachka even stated that he was confident that the opening of the remaining clusters would not be postponed until autumn.
However, this expectation did not come true, as Hungary maintained its objections to clusters 2 and 3, the publication notes.