Germany and France are proposing options for Ukraine’s ’symbolic’ EU membership, — FT
France and Germany plan to grant Ukraine "symbolic" privileges in the run-up to accession to the European Union, which exclude Kyiv's access to the bloc's budget and voting rights.
This is stated in documents containing proposals from the two countries, which were reviewed by the Financial Times, according to Censor.NET.
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It is reported that Paris and Berlin have rejected the European Commission’s proposals to eliminate the slow and bureaucratic accession process in order to grant Kyiv the immediate benefits of membership.
Germany insists on "associate member" status, under which Ukraine would participate in meetings of ministers and leaders but would not have voting rights or "automatic access" to the EU's common budget.
- The German proposal also states that the new status would have "symbolic significance by virtue of its name." It could be granted through a political decision by EU leaders, which would avoid lengthy procedures.
- France refers to this type of partial membership as "integrated state status," under which access to the Common Agricultural Policy and European funding would be deferred until full accession.
The Impact of the Elections in Hungary
The recent electoral defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had vetoed the start of accession talks with Ukraine, has raised some hopes for progress on this issue. However, most EU members fear that granting Ukraine and other candidates the right to accelerated accession would upset the bloc’s political dynamics and undermine the value of membership.
Two senior European Commission officials told the Financial Times that the general substance of the documents from France and Germany is likely to "be close" to the EU’s final proposal for Ukraine.
Taras Kachka, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, told the publication that Kyiv is continuing discussions with EU countries regarding its membership.
