Ukraine completes screening of three clusters for EU accession negotiations

Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, has announced that Ukraine has already completed the screening of three negotiation clusters for EU accession talks.

Source: a statement by Kos before the start of a meeting of the EU Council on defence and foreign affairs on 20 May in Brussels

Details: These are clusters 1 – Fundamentals, 2 – Internal Market and 6 – Foreign Relations.

Quote from Kos: "Ukraine has done its homework, so it’s ready for Cluster 1 Fundamentals to be open. And now the Council will have all the elements to make a decision. Last week, we sent two other screenings to the Council – Cluster 2 and Cluster 6 for both countries, Ukraine and Moldova."

Details: Kos said that if the work were to advance with the same speed as it does now, all screenings could have been processed by autumn. 

She said that it would also be a message for Ukraine. Kos stressed that Ukraine’s integration into the EU would be a key element of the security guarantees after peace talks started. She pointed out that it concerned not only the security of Ukraine but also the security of Europe and the European Union. 

Background:

• On 16 January 2025, the European Commission sent the EU Council its first screening report on Cluster 1, Fundamentals, for Ukraine.
• However, in February 2025, Hungary blocked the opening of the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine and promised to block the opening of clusters until consultations with the population on this issue were held.
• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán already voted in a poll against Ukraine's membership in the EU.

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