Moldova overtakes Ukraine on EU accession path, roadmaps indicate

The roadmaps created by Brussels on the countries' path to EU accession suggest that the European Union has recognised that Moldova has already overtaken Ukraine in the European integration process.

Source: an article by European Pravda "Less reform, more success: what the EU has promised Ukraine for 2027 and where its optimism comes from"

Details: As noted in the article, the introductory and descriptive sections of the roadmaps for Ukraine and Moldova are almost identical.

"But the specifics allow us to assert: the European Union has already recognised that Moldova has overtaken Ukraine," European Pravda writes.

Overall, the European Commission has its own internal ranking among the four leaders of European integration, and Ukraine ranks fourth, behind Moldova.

Moldova is considered "well advanced" in meeting the interim criteria. According to EP's sources, the European Commission has already prepared a positive statement on the Interim Benchmark Assessment Report (IBAR), i.e. the fundamental benchmarks, and should soon send it to the member states for approval.

Quote: "The EC's plans for the further course of negotiations are indicative. While for Ukraine the roadmap plans to start closing chapters at the end of the first quarter (and with Kyiv's current low progress in implementing the IBAR, even this seems ambitious), for Moldova it envisages closing nine chapters in the first half of 2027 alone and another 16 chapters by the end of the year – that is, 25 in a year."

Details: Meanwhile, the EU did not predict in the roadmaps when the European integration leaders would conclude accession negotiations, hoping that Ukraine would accelerate its pace of reforms.

Background:

• On 4 November, the European Commission published its annual enlargement package, assessing the progress of 10 EU candidate countries and placing Ukraine among the four countries that have made the greatest progress.
• The Ukraine report showed that the European Commission's improved assessment of Ukraine's progress towards EU membership, particularly in anti-corruption, was achieved not thanks to, but despite the actions of the authorities.

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