Ukraine needs to adopt three important EU decisions to open the "Fundamentals" cluster, - European Commissioner Kos
European Commissioner for Enlargement Martha Kos noted that three political decisions of the European Council are needed to open the first cluster of the "Fundamentals" in the framework of negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union.
She said this during a press conference in Brussels, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.
She noted that the decisions include confirmation of the screening report, assessment of the implementation of benchmarks and the Commission's conclusion.
"The technical work has not yet been completed. Regarding the Fundamentals cluster, the screening report was sent to the (European) Council on January 17, and in order to be able to open the fundamentals, we need three unanimous decisions of the (European) Council: first, the confirmation of the (European Commission's) screening report, second, the benchmarks (fulfillment of conditions), and then the Commission's opinion. And we are currently preparing a screening report for the (Foreign Affairs) cluster," Kos said.
According to Kos, the negotiations with Ukraine will require up to 150 unanimous decisions of the European Council from the beginning to the end of the membership process. This indicates a high level of coordination and complexity of the negotiation process.
Swedish Foreign Minister Jessica Rosenkrantz emphasized that supporting Ukraine in its aspirations for EU membership is a priority for Sweden and for Europe as a whole. She emphasized the importance of continuing negotiations and opening the first cluster in the coming months, preferably in March.
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna also noted that Ukraine is actively working on reforms in areas such as the rule of law and the fight against corruption, which are key to the successful opening of the cluster. She emphasized the need for an inclusive dialog to implement these reforms, which will take time.
"We will adapt this vision to the proposals of the Member States. We have done our job, and we look forward to the input from the Commission and the Member States," she said.
In particular, Kos noted that following the change in the EU's enlargement methodology in 2020, the Fundamentals cluster has gained greater importance. This cluster includes fundamental reforms related to the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and the development of institutions that will ensure that these principles are upheld in the future EU member state.
"It is not easy to open a cluster, but sometimes it is easier to open than to close," Kos summarized.
As a reminder, during his visit to Warsaw, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine plans to open 5-6 negotiation clusters with the EU in 2025.
Then it was reported that Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski expressed hope for the opening of two key clusters of negotiations between Ukraine and the EU in the first half of 2025.
