EU ambassadors to make another attempt to persuade Hungary to open two accession negotiating clusters for Ukraine

The Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA) will on 22 July hold its second discussion with Hungary regarding the approval of the screening results for negotiating clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine and Moldova, a step required to begin the procedure for their opening.

Source: European Pravda, citing EU diplomats in Brussels

Details: The meeting on 22 July will be the second attempt to persuade Hungary to give the green light to the technical preparations for opening clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine.

"Items on the screening results for clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine and Moldova have once again been included on the COELA agenda. The Irish Presidency and the EU member states will make a second attempt to persuade Hungary's representative to support approving the screening results and sending letters to both countries inviting them to submit their negotiating positions on the two clusters," one of European Pravda's sources said.

The source noted that sending the letters formally marks the start of the procedure for opening the clusters.

According to European Pravda, Ireland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, hopes to launch preparations for opening the next clusters – or at least one cluster – for Ukraine and Moldova before the summer recess so that an intergovernmental conference can be held as early as September.

The optimistic scenario is to open all remaining clusters by the end of 2026, opening one cluster each month.

The 22 July meeting will be COELA's last before the summer break. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for 1 September.

Background:

• During the COELA meeting on 17 July, Hungary refused to begin the process of opening negotiating clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine, but agreed to open cluster 3 for Moldova. That proposal, however, failed to gain the support of a majority of EU member states, and no decision was adopted.

• The sixth negotiating cluster, External Relations, was opened for Ukraine in Brussels on 14 July. Taras Kachka, then deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said the opening of the remaining four clusters would not be postponed until after the summer.
• Hungary had previously blocked the opening of clusters 2-6 for Ukraine at the technical level, but later agreed to lift its veto on cluster 6.

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