On October 12, Hungary is expected to approve opening of EU negotiation clusters for Ukraine
On Monday, October 12, European Union ambassadors may agree on negotiating positions regarding the opening of the second and third clusters of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Hungary is prepared to support this decision provided that the Verkhovna Rada adopts amendments to education legislation that expand the rights of national minorities.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by "European Pravda," citing its own sources in Brussels.
A meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU Member States (Coreper) is scheduled for October 12 in Luxembourg. It is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. Kyiv time—following the conclusion of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, in which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha will participate.
What condition did Hungary set?
Hungary is ready to allow the opening of Clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine, but only after the Verkhovna Rada votes on amendments to the education law regarding the rights of national minorities.
According to sources cited by "European Pravda," EU member states are giving the Verkhovna Rada time to adopt the necessary legislative changes.
Drafts of the EU’s common positions on negotiations with Ukraine regarding the two clusters were prepared as early as Friday, October 9.
These areas include:
- Cluster 2 - "Internal Market";
- Cluster 3 - "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth."
According to the publication, the Coreper agenda includes the approval of these documents for Ukraine, as well as common positions on the second and third clusters for Moldova.
If EU ambassadors agree on common positions, intergovernmental conferences between Ukraine and the EU and between Ukraine and Moldova may take place on Tuesday, October 13.
It is during these conferences that the second and third negotiation clusters are scheduled to be officially launched.
At present, approval depends on fulfilling the condition regarding amendments to Ukrainian education legislation and the adoption of relevant decisions at the EU level.
