EU will try to persuade Hungary not to block letter on Ukraine's negotiating clusters on 26 June

On Friday 26 June, the Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA) will again consider the assessment of the screening results for negotiating clusters 2-6 for Ukraine, a process delayed by Hungary on 23 June. If approved, the EU will invite Ukraine to submit its negotiating positions for each cluster in order to begin discussions on opening them.

Source: European Pravda, citing two EU officials and two diplomats from EU member states familiar with the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity

Details: Hungary is holding up the formal preparation process for the opening of clusters 2-6 for Ukraine at the technical level. On 26 June, EU member states will attempt to persuade Budapest to lift its objections.

"Following the assessment of the screening results, COELA must decide that Ukraine is sufficiently prepared for negotiations," one of the sources said.

The source added that during a COELA meeting in Brussels on Tuesday 23 June, Hungary had refused to endorse the screening results, arguing that its experts require more time to assess them.

The source stressed that "Hungary's decision should not yet be viewed as an obstruction, but rather as technical reservations pending scrutiny."

It should be noted that the screening results for clusters 2-6 for Moldova were also not approved.

As a result, COELA decided to return to the issue on Friday 26 June.

"If Hungary lifts its 'scrutiny reservations', the Cypriot Presidency has indicated it is ready to place the issue on the agenda of COREPER [the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU – ed.] as early as this Friday," one of the diplomats said.

For reference, COREPER is due to meet on the morning of 26 June.

COREPER would then, without further discussion, approve the sending of a letter to Ukraine (and likewise Moldova), inviting them to submit negotiating positions aimed at opening clusters 2-6.

Following that, EU ambassadors will begin discussing the EU's negotiating positions for each cluster. Once these have been approved, the clusters could be opened at the relevant Intergovernmental Conference.

Background:

• On 17 June, COELA, which consists of experts from all 27 EU member states, began reviewing the screening results for all unopened clusters for Ukraine and Moldova (clusters 2-6), formally launching preparations for their opening.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope that the remaining five clusters in Ukraine's EU accession negotiations will be opened in the coming weeks.
• However, Ukraine's plan to open all clusters in the EU accession negotiations by July 2026 may not materialise due to a lack of time for the necessary negotiations and coordination.

Your support on Patreon helps us keep the news free and accessible.