Ukraine has fulfilled all conditions for start of EU accession talks - European Commission

The European Commission today briefed the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union (Coreper) on the progress that Ukraine and Moldova have made in fulfilling the conditions for the start of interstate negotiations on EU accession and concluded that both countries have taken all the necessary steps.

European Commission spokesperson Ana Pisonero said this at a press briefing in Brussels on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The point on the [EU] accession process with Moldova and with Ukraine was on the agenda of Coreper today. We can confirm that on the Commission side, we've provided all the updates to member states and we considered that all the steps have been met by the two countries. [...] Now the decision is in the hands of the member members, and it is for them to adopt the negotiating framework. Once this step is done, it is the prerogative of the presidency of the EU Council to convene an intergovernmental conference to formally mark the start of negotiations," she said.

She noted that Ukraine had adopted legislation to increase the staffing cap for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and removed from the legislation on corruption prevention the provisions restricting the powers of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) for continued verification of assets that have already undergone the verification process and limiting the agency's powers to verify property acquired by declarants before joining the public service.

Pisonero said that Ukraine had enacted a law regulating lobbying in line with European standards as part of the anti-oligarch action plan.

Ukraine has also taken the necessary steps to improve the legislation on the protection of minority rights. In December 2023, the Verkhovna Rada adopted amendments that could ensure compliance with such rights in terms of minority language education.

On December 14, 2023, the European Council decided to open membership negotiations with Ukraine, Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and granted the status of a candidate country to Georgia. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova expressed hope that the negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on joining the EU would begin at the end of June.