2023-11-09 06:30:23
Update
09 November 2023
07:30
The European Commission gave a positive opinion on Wednesday with a view to opening accession negotiations. The final decision rests with the Twenty-Seven.
The green light was expected, it was given on Wednesday: the European Commission delivered a favorable opinion for the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine, as well as with Moldova. In the same gesture, the European executive also recommended granting Georgia the status of candidate country.
“Despite the war, Ukrainians are profoundly reforming their country“, noted the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference. The Commission therefore recommends that Member States open negotiations which should lead to the integration of the country within the Union: heads of state and government must decide at the European Council in December.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed this new step. “Our state must be in the EU. Ukrainians deserve it,” he said. kyiv and Chisinau applied for membership last year, the day following the outbreak of Russian aggression once morest Ukraine. Both states had been accepted as candidate countries in record time, just months following the start of the war. Since then, they have been waiting for a decision from the Twenty-Seven to move on to the next step.
The Commission takes note of the progress made on three thorny issues: the fight once morest corruption, application of a law to limit the influence of oligarchs, and protection of national minorities.
Specifications still incomplete
According to the Commission’s working document on Ukraine, four of the seven conditions are “fully met” (reform of judicial appointments, anti-money laundering legislation, media regulation, etc.). Certain specific measures have yet to be recorded in the fight once morest corruption, limiting the influence of oligarchs and protecting national minorities.
The Commission’s recommendation does not come with conditions, and once the decision is taken by the European Council (heads of government), “work can start immediately”, underlined the President of the Commission. If the decision is taken on December 15, the Commission will send “the same evening” a team to kyiv to begin the preparatory work, assures a European source.
More the European executive will wait for the adoption of the final expected measures before recommending to the Council (ministers) to adopt the negotiating framework, a document that will guide the substance of the upcoming talks. If the reforms follow their course, the European Commission might do so during a next progress report in March.
The pattern is similar for neighboring Moldova, although the small country has moved even faster than Ukraine on the path to reform – “Moldova’s achievements are impressive”, underlined von der Leyen. Chisinau has undertaken a complete reform of Justice, an effective fight once morest corruption, a “de-oligarchization” plan currently being deployed and notable progress in the area of press freedom and the protection of minorities.
“A stronger, bigger and united European Union is the geopolitical answer to Russia’s war of aggression.”
A bigger Union as a response to Moscow
The decisions taken on Ukraine and Moldova are part of the “Enlargement Package” adopted by the Commission, which assesses in detail the state of progress made in all candidate countries, while the Union is preparing for a historic wave of enlargements, possibly in the coming decade.
“A stronger, larger and united European Union is the geopolitical response to Russia’s war of aggression,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday.
But growing while remaining strong and united will not be self-evident for the community. It will not only be necessary to increase the number of seats around the table, but to try to prevent the extension of the club from leading to a paralysis of its decision-making – particularly in areas where unanimity is now required. (foreign policy, budget, taxation, etc.).
“How can we improve our decision-making process to remain agile?” “Which sectoral policies need to be reformed in the context of future enlargement?” Questions that are still completely open and that the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, is putting on the menu for consultations “in small groups” of heads of government.
1699511655
#Ukraine #Moldova #members
