The spokesperson for the European Commission, Guillaume Mercier, stated that the process of checking Ukraine’s legislation for compliance with EU law within the accession negotiations is proceeding at an unprecedented pace. The screening report from the European Commission regarding Cluster 1 “Fundamentals” has already been submitted to the EU Council.
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Reports for Clusters 2 “Internal Market” and 6 “External Relations” are expected to be sent by the end of June. The full screening is set to conclude in the fall of 2025, when Denmark will hold the EU presidency.
The Key Role of the EU Council in the Negotiations
Mercier noted that the EU Council is crucial for opening negotiations on Cluster 1. Although Ukraine has met all the conditions for opening the “Fundamentals” cluster, the final decision depends on the agreement of all EU member states.
Commenting on Hungary’s position, which is blocking the opening of the cluster, he mentioned that the European Commission, in collaboration with Poland, which currently holds the EU presidency, is working on finding solutions.
Optimistic Outlook for Opening Clusters
According to Mercier, given the pace of screening, the Commission believes that all clusters could be opened this year, provided that approval is received from the member states.