European Commission names date for opening the first cluster of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations
Kyiv • UNN
The European Commission will propose opening the first cluster of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations on June 16. Hungary's new prime minister is ready to support this step.
The European Commission will propose opening the first "cluster" of negotiating chapters regarding the EU membership of Ukraine and Moldova on June 16. This was reported by a high-ranking official to Euractiv, according to UNN.
Details
According to the publication, the European Commission will submit this proposal at a meeting of Europe ministers in Brussels within the framework of the General Affairs Council.
Such a schedule would allow EU leaders to approve this step at a European Council meeting in Brussels two days later.
Until now, progress on Ukraine's accession to the EU has been stalled, primarily by Hungary.
Viktor Orbán, the former prime minister, consistently blocked any attempts to advance Ukraine's bid for EU membership. However, after 16 years in power, he was ousted following the parliamentary elections in Hungary in March.
While the new Hungarian government does not support Ukraine's EU membership, it has signaled a more measured approach.
The new Hungarian Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, is expected to arrive in Brussels later this week and link his support to demands for unblocking European funds frozen due to EU law violations under the Orbán government.
In April, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that she expects negotiations on Ukraine's first "negotiating cluster" to begin after the transition period in the Hungarian government concludes, possibly during the Cyprus presidency of the EU, which lasts until the end of June.
The exact terms of Ukraine's and Moldova's EU membership remain a subject of discussion.
Last week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that Ukraine could join the EU as an "associate member" without full voting rights. Kyiv rejected this idea a few days later.
On Tuesday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide dismissed suggestions that Ukraine could join the European Economic Area as a step toward full EU membership. The EEA extends the EU single market to non-EU countries: Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
"It is a very peculiar agreement," Eide said. "It has its pros and cons — I'm not sure I would suggest they do that."
Additionally
While the terms of membership are controversial, the accession process is clear.
EU accession negotiations are divided into six so-called "clusters," which group sectors or "chapters" of EU law into broad political thematic areas.
The opening of each cluster requires the unanimous approval of all 27 EU member governments, and a veto can also halt the progress of negotiations if candidate countries are deemed to be backsliding on reforms.
The first such "cluster" in the negotiations concerns the most important democratic, economic, and institutional foundations of the EU. Although it is the first to open, it is also the last to close.
Other clusters are expected to be opened for Ukraine and Moldova in July.