Opening of clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine postponed until September due to Hungary's position

Hungary has refused to approve the screening results for negotiation clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine and Moldova during a meeting of the EU Council's Working Party on Enlargement (COELA) on 22 July; the next attempt is scheduled for 1 September.

Source: sources within the EU reported to a European Pravda correspondent in Brussels

Details: A second attempt on 22 July to persuade Hungary to approve the screening results for clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine and Moldova ended in failure; a third attempt is planned for 1 September.

"Today, COELA once again failed to approve the screening results for clusters No. 2 and No. 3 for Ukraine and Moldova due to Hungary's unwillingness. The issue has been postponed until September," one of European Pravda's sources said.

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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