The European Union has officially launched accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, marking a historic moment for both countries. The negotiations were initiated on Tuesday in Luxembourg amidst significant challenges posed by Russia, which has attempted to obstruct the process. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean both hailed the event as a milestone in their countries' paths towards European integration.
The EU member states first formally opened negotiations with Ukraine, followed by Moldova. This decision required a hard-won agreement among the 26 EU countries to convince Hungary, which had been a prominent critic, to not block the process. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had opposed the discussions, arguing that Ukraine was not ready for accession.
The negotiations will begin with a 'screening' process to review the legislation of Ukraine and Moldova to ensure compatibility with EU laws. This stage typically lasts one to two years, but it is expected to proceed faster in this case due to the existing understanding of the legal frameworks of both countries. Despite the expedited process, it will still take several months before the different negotiation chapters are opened.
The EU granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022, a few months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The accession process is expected to be long and arduous, with numerous challenges, including financial aid and governance reforms. The European Commission has emphasized the need for Ukraine to fight corruption and reduce the influence of oligarchs, as well as to better consider minority rights.
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib highlighted the importance of Ukraine demonstrating its commitment to reforms, including strengthening democratic institutions and public administration. The EU aims to reform itself to manage this enlargement and improve its governance and decision-making processes, which are already complex among the 27 member states.
The heads of state and government of the European Union had paved the way for these negotiations in mid-December 2023, but Hungary had slowed down the formal opening of discussions until now. The European Commission had previously confirmed that Ukraine and Moldova had met all prerequisites for accession, making the start of negotiations a significant step towards their integration into the European Union.
- Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna assured that 90% of Ukrainians support the EU accession and that the country is committed to making the necessary reforms. During her speech to the EU ministers, she was momentarily interrupted by an alert from Kyiv, highlighting the ongoing conflict in her country.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Ukraine and Moldova on the start of negotiations, emphasizing that the road ahead would be difficult but full of opportunities. She reiterated that there would be no shortcuts in the accession process for any candidate country.
- Hungary's European Affairs Minister Janos Boka reiterated his country's skepticism, stating that Ukraine is still far from meeting the accession criteria. Despite this, Hungary has agreed not to block the process, allowing the negotiations to proceed.
- The EU's enlargement to include Ukraine and Moldova poses several challenges, particularly in terms of financial aid and the need for internal reforms within the EU to manage the increased complexity of governance among member states.
