All EU member states have agreed to begin the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, the European Commission’s press service announced on its Telegram channel on Monday, June 15.
“Today, we're launching talks on the backbone of the accession process: including justice, freedom, and fundamental rights. We've seen the hard work these countries have put in, and we are rewarding it with a clear path forward,” the statement said.
The Commission emphasized that enlargement is a strategic choice for Europe.
“Our best investment in a shared future of peace, security and prosperity,” the statement added.
Opening the first negotiation cluster “Fundamentals” moves Ukraine’s EU accession process into a practical final stage, with the only shared goal remaining full membership in the EU without any alternatives.
This was stated to journalists by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka ahead of the EU–Ukraine Accession Conference in Luxembourg.
“This conference effectively moves us, by opening the first cluster ‘Fundamentals,’ into the practical final stage of EU accession negotiations,” Kachka said.
According to him, over the next two and a half to three years, Ukraine is ready to complete all reforms, “even earlier, because geopolitical circumstances demand it.”
He also emphasized that the decision confirms that Ukraine’s only goal together with the European Union is full accession to the EU, with no alternatives.
“We also expect that immediately after today’s conference, the European Union will begin work on the five other clusters that are ready to be opened, and this will take from a few days to a few weeks,” the Deputy Prime Minister explained.
