EU to resume preparations for opening negotiating clusters for Ukraine and Moldova on 1 September – sources

After the summer recess, the Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA) will consider approving the screening results for negotiating clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine and Moldova on 1 September.

Source: European Pravda, citing sources in Brussels

Details: The Council of the EU will resume preparations for opening clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine and Moldova.

On 1 September, the COELA will consider the screening results for negotiating clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine and Moldova as its first agenda item and is expected to approve them, launching the formal process of preparing to open the clusters.

Background:

• A previous attempt to approve the screening results on 22 July failed due to Hungary's position. Hungary was prepared to give the "green light" only to progress on cluster 3 and only for Moldova.
• 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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