The EU plans to open all negotiation clusters on Ukraineʼs accession in July

The European Union expects to open all negotiation clusters on Ukraineʼs accession to the EU in July.

This was stated by EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Cos before the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

According to her, Ukraine and Moldova have fulfilled their obligations, and the EU "must also fulfill them".

"Thatʼs why I expect that we will open all other five clusters in July, and that is also good news," the European Commissioner emphasized.

On June 15, two intergovernmental conferences with Ukraine and Moldova will be held in Luxembourg, marking the opening of the first negotiation cluster with both countries – “Fundamentals”.

This cluster covers, in particular, the rule of law and fundamental rights, the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform and economic criteria. According to EU rules, no other cluster can be successfully completed until there is substantial progress in the “Fundamentals”. Negotiations start with it and it remains open until the very end of the European integration path.

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.

After the government changed in Hungary, the country lifted its 17-month veto on Ukraineʼs accession to the EU in June 2026.

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