Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Discussions on Ukraine and Moldova’s EU accession began on June 25, 2024, marking a historic step towards their potential membership despite ongoing conflicts in Ukraine.
Formal discussions on Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the European Union started on 25 June 2024, in a development called historic and set to strengthen hopes both countries will one day become EU members despite the battle raging in Ukraine.
Who led the Ukrainian and Moldovan delegations during the talks?
The beginning of talks will take place in two consecutive Intergovernmental Conferences in Luxembourg, with the two promising countries, the European Commission and the rotating presidency of the Council, presently held by Belgium, all represented. The Ukrainian delegation will be led by the country’s deputy prime minister for European integration, Olga Stefanishyna, while Prime Minister Dorin Recean will guide the Moldovan delegation.
The meeting is mostly figurative, but it does indicate that the European Commission can make headway in the process of filtering both Kyiv and Chisinau’s national laws to choose alignment with the EU’s own in areas including energy, financial services and food safety. The negotiating frameworks, developed to guide the accession talks and supported by EU member states last week, will also be given to both countries.
What are the next steps for Ukraine and Moldova?
An EU diplomat stated that while the initial screening process can normally take one to two years, it could be faster this time given that the 2014 free trade agreements with both Ukraine and Moldova mean both nations are already aligned with several EU standards and regulations.
The beginning of negotiations is one of many milestones in a typically years-long process, where nations are required to make judicial, economic and constitutional reforms before they can be deemed ready to join the EU. It has taken around a decade on moderate for previous candidates to join the bloc.Â
Seven more nations are currently waiting in the branches to become EU members, five of which – the Western Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – are already in standard negotiations.
What was the Reaction of EU institution Heads over Talks?
“We stand at the threshold of a significant and transformative moment for these two countries (Ukraine and Moldova), and for our Union,” the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed in a video message. She added that Ukraine and Moldova’s path to EU membership will be “rigorous and demanding,”Â
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, stated: “Our shared future starts now.”
Charles Michel, who heads the European Council, described discussions as “a proud moment for both nations and a strategic action for the EU.” “Ukraine’s efforts are even more commendable considering Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has brought about exceptional hardship and adversity,” Michel added. “The people of Ukraine have demonstrated extraordinary courage and solidarity in protecting their sovereignty and their European future.”
Michel has earlier called for the EU itself to speed up its practices for enlargement, suggesting the bloc should be inclined to accept new members by 2030.
