High-level EU officials and ministers will meet in Luxembourg to open formal accession discussions, signaling political support while technical gaps remain.
On Monday, Ukraine and Moldova will officially begin the first stage of negotiations on joining the European Union, according to sources from the EU and Kyiv.
According to sources from the EU and Kyiv, Brussels acknowledges that Kyiv has currently implemented about 15% of the reforms from the ten-point plan agreed with the EU in December last year.
The opening of substantive negotiations in Luxembourg is expected to take place with the participation of high-level EU officials and ministers of both countries. This will be a symbolic gesture for Ukraine and Moldova, which hail from the former Soviet Union.
To join the EU, Ukraine will have to adopt a large package of legislative norms and decisions, after which unanimous approval by the current member states of the Union will be required.
European officials note the ambitious reforms of both countries, but admit that Kyiv has not progressed quickly enough within the framework of the ten reform priorities.
According to sources, Ukraine has implemented about 15% of the planned reforms under the ten-point plan that was agreed by EU Enlargement Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka in December last year. The plan provides for measures to strengthen the independence of anti-corruption bodies NABU and SAP, the adoption of an anti-corruption strategy, and reform of the procedures for appointing judges and prosecutors.
EU representatives also believe that, with the will, Ukraine could complete the technical negotiations in about four years, noting that the final decision on membership remains political.
Context of negotiations and expectations of the EU
Within the framework of the first stage, the parties expect a clear understanding of the next steps and the scope of implementation, but emphasize that full membership requires the agreement of all 27 EU member states and adherence to staged procedures.
Participants in the negotiation process stress that the first stage has purely symbolic significance as a signal to neighboring countries and to the applicants themselves, while the final decision will depend on the political readiness of the member states to expand.
In summary, officials emphasize: future membership depends on the full implementation of the EU’s legislative requirements, as well as on the consolidated position of the existing Union members.