European Council considers it necessary to immediately open formal membership negotiations with Ukraine - statement by 25 leaders

The European Council notes the progress of technical work to open negotiating clusters regarding Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and considers it necessary to open them officially immediately.

This follows from a statement adopted by 25 leaders of the European Union (excluding Hungary and Slovakia) at a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on Thursday.

“Following the Commission’s assessment, and taking good note that the technical work to open all clusters has advanced in the Council, the European Council invites the Council to open the clusters without delay, starting with the fundamentals cluster, in accordance with the enlargement methodology and in line with the merit-based approach,” the documents reads.

EU leaders are convinced that the future of Ukraine and its citizens lies in the European Union. “The European Council welcomes the significant progress Ukraine has achieved so far under the most challenging circumstances and encourages the further reforms needed,” the statement reads.

As earier reported, on Tuesday, March 17, Ukraine unofficially received benchmarks (criteria) for the last three of six negotiating clusters from the EU. Kyiv therefore now unofficially holds all six negotiating clusters [listed according to EU guidelines]: the first (Fundamentals of EU Accession), the second (Internal Market), the sixth (External Relations), the third (Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth), the fourth (Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity), and the fifth (Resources, Agriculture, and Cohesion).

As of today, the start of official negotiations is blocked by Hungary.