The first negotiation cluster on Ukraine and Moldovaʼs accession to the EU will open on June 15

The first negotiation cluster on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union will open on June 15 during the intergovernmental conferences.

This was reported by the authorities of Cyprus, which currently holds the presidency of the EU.

At the meeting, the parties will officially open Cluster 1 — “Fundamentals”. It covers issues of the rule of law, democratic institutions, public administration, economic criteria, and the protection of human rights.

Further progress towards EU membership will depend on how states implement the necessary reforms and align national legislation with European law.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the decision. She was joined by European Council President António Costa. President Volodymyr Zelensky also thanked Ukrainians and the EU.

What are Ukraineʼs successes on its path to the EU?

Ukraine intensified cooperation with the EU in 2014, after the victory of the Revolution of Dignity. In the same year, the Verkhovna Rada and the European Parliament simultaneously approved the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. It entered into full force on September 1, 2017. Ukraineʼs path to membership in the European Union and NATO was enshrined in the Constitution in February 2019.

On February 28, 2022, Ukraine applied for membership in the European Union. On June 17, the European Commission recommended granting Ukraine candidate status for EU membership and set out a number of conditions that the country must meet before starting negotiations on EU membership. On June 23, EU leaders gathered in Brussels for a summit, where they granted Ukraine candidate status.

At the end of 2023, the European Union allowed negotiations to begin. They were formally launched in 2024, but the process slowed down, in particular due to the position of then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who blocked the opening of negotiation clusters.

Babelʼs sources reported on May 12 that Ukraine expected to open the first cluster for entry on May 26, and the rest in June.

On June 3, Hungary lifted a 17-month veto on Ukraineʼs accession to the EU, which was promoted by the countryʼs former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

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