European Commission acknowledges reforms, calls for continued efforts in Ukraine’s EU accession process

Ukraine has fulfilled all the remaining requirements outlined in the 2022 European Commission conclusion. The EU governing body is prepared to initiate the first negotiation clusters with Ukraine in 2025, contingent upon completing any additional necessary criteria.

This is stated in the updated report of the European Commission on enlargement.

In particular, the report indicates that Ukraine "continued to promote integrity and merit in the judicial system, as well as strengthen the anti-corruption institutional framework and increase the results of law enforcement in high-level corruption cases."

Ukraine's efforts regarding the rights of national minorities, which Hungary, in particular, insisted on, were also positively noted there.

"Ukraine has also reviewed its legislation on protecting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. Restrictions on basic rights related to martial law remain generally proportionate," the EU executive body notes.

Meanwhile, the conclusions indicate that, despite advances in fundamental reforms, "additional efforts are required." The European Commission prioritizes increasing "the effectiveness of law enforcement in addressing high-level corruption" and combating organized crime.

The European Commission also emphasizes the need to improve reforms in the field of public administration and decentralization.

"Measures to support infrastructure repair and reconstruction will be key to a full recovery of the economy, especially in the energy sector, which needs further decentralization and improved governance," the report says.

The EC notes Ukraine's ratification of the Rome Statute and emphasizes the need to align national legislation. At the same time, the document states that the screening of Ukrainian legislation for compliance with European legislation is "progressing smoothly. "

"If Ukraine fulfills all the conditions, the European Commission looks forward to opening negotiations on clusters [negotiating sections – ed.], starting from the basics, as soon as possible in 2025," the document summarizes.

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The first Intergovernmental Conference on Ukraine's accession to the EU was held in Luxembourg on June 25. This officially started negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union.

The intergovernmental conference with Ukraine was set to begin at 4:30 p.m. in Kyiv. This was followed by a similar conference discussing Moldova's access to the EU, scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Kyiv.

The Deputy Prime Minister headed the Ukrainian delegation for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Olha Stefanishyna, and the European delegation, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Hadja Lahbib.

It should be noted that on June 21, the Council of the EU approved the negotiating framework for Ukraine and Moldova and confirmed that the intergovernmental conferences to launch negotiations would be held on June 25.

Moreover, according to Ukraine's former Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, membership in the European Union would come in three stages once the negotiations for joining begin on June 25.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and several leaders of the EU member states made speeches on the occasion of the opening of the negotiations.