The European Commission is set to kick off formal negotiations for Ukraine to join the European Union this month, sending a signal of support to the war-torn country before Hungary takes over the rotating EU presidency. According to a report by the Financial Times, three sources familiar with the matter revealed that the European Commission will announce on Friday (June 7th) that Ukraine has met previously unmet accession criteria, including anti-corruption measures, restrictions on political lobbying, rules on asset declaration for public officials, and protection of minority language usage.
In 2022, shortly after facing a full-scale invasion by Russia, Ukraine applied to join the EU and was granted candidate status in June of the same year. This was one of the quickest decisions made by the EU in determining candidate country status. Russia’s invasion accelerated Ukraine’s path towards EU membership.
Apart from Ukraine, the countries currently holding candidate status for EU membership include Moldova and Georgia. Negotiations for accession with the EU for some candidate countries in the Western Balkans region have also picked up pace after years of stagnation.
Formal accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova will commence this month. The European Commission, along with the 27 member states, will evaluate this week whether the candidate countries have met the accession standards, with Georgia expected not to pass.
Due to Georgia’s disregard of EU warnings, passing the Foreign Influence Transparency Act in mid-May, it has been accused of seriously infringing upon freedom of speech and association.
The EU’s recommendations require unanimous agreement from the governments of EU countries. Hungary is expected to voice opposition, citing issues such as Ukraine’s treatment of Hungarian minorities in Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has previously obstructed other decisions related to Ukraine, including granting Ukraine candidate status for EU membership and a $50 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Although under pressure from other EU member states, Hungary eventually made concessions regarding Ukraine’s candidate status, it has consistently opposed allocating EU funds for Ukraine.
A senior EU diplomat stated that Hungary remains concerned about Ukraine’s treatment of other minority groups, especially regarding the right to use non-Ukrainian languages.
A spokesperson for the Hungarian government did not immediately respond to requests for comments from the Financial Times.
Hungary will assume the rotating EU presidency on July 1st, giving it greater influence over EU decisions related to Ukraine.
The current presidency held by Belgium is working diligently to reach a consensus before June 25th and conduct the first round of accession negotiations with Ukraine, before handing over to Hungary.