Ukraine and Moldova could begin formal negotiations on EU accession as early as June
Ukraine and Moldova could begin formal negotiations on accession to the European Union as early as June. This was reported to Politico by four diplomats familiar with the progress of the consultations.
This concerns the opening of the first negotiation chapter, which is one of the official stages on the path to EU membership. According to three diplomats, the relevant decision could be taken during an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg scheduled for 15 June.
Ukraine and Moldova submitted their applications for EU membership simultaneously. Consequently, the progress of Chisinau’s application is directly linked to the course of Ukraine’s negotiation process.
According to diplomatic sources, Hungary’s new leadership has privately signalled its readiness to lift the veto on Ukraine’s application following a meeting between Ukrainian and Hungarian experts on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
At the same time, a Hungarian representative stated that no final decision on opening the negotiation clusters has yet been taken.
During the consultations, the Ukrainian side provided assurances regarding the resolution of most of the issues contained in the 11-point plan previously prepared by Budapest. According to one diplomat, not all of Hungary’s requests can be implemented immediately, but Budapest’s support does not depend on the adoption of new laws in Ukraine.
One of the diplomats also noted that negotiations had intensified following a visit by Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar to Brussels, where he met with European Union leaders to discuss the release of €16.4 billion in frozen European funds.
It is expected that by the end of this week, EU ambassadors will agree on a common position regarding the opening of the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova. Prior to this, Ukraine must present plans for domestic reforms and further steps to resolve issues related to national minorities.
Following this, EU member states may approve the opening of the first negotiation chapter at an intergovernmental conference on 15 June.
Unanimous support from all 27 EU member states is required to open each negotiation stage. Any state has the right to block the process both at the initial stage and during subsequent negotiations.
