EU publishes official document on launch of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova

15.12.2023 06:16

Ukrinform

The European Council, on the first day of summit, December 14, published its conclusions on Ukraine, enlargement and reforms, envisaging the decision of the heads of EU Member States and governments to begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

The full text of the document is published on the website of the European Council, Ukrinform reports.

“The European Council endorses the Council conclusions on enlargement of 12 December 2023. Building on the Commission’s enlargement package of 8 November 2023, the European Council takes the following decisions:

Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova

The European Council decides to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and with the Republic of Moldova. The European Council invites the Council to adopt the respective negotiating frameworks once the relevant steps set out in the respective Commission recommendations of 8 November 2023 are taken,” the document says.

The document also envisages granting the status of candidate country to Georgia, and opening accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved. The European Council said it is ready to complete the opening phase of the accession negotiations with North Macedonia.

The European Council also reaffirmed its full and unequivocal commitment to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans, its own commitments to support reforms and economic development in the region.

The European Council stressed that the process of enlargement is a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity. It is a driver for improving the economic and social conditions of European citizens, reducing disparities between countries, and must foster the values on which the European Union is founded.

At the same time, as the summit conclusions point out, looking ahead to the prospect of a further enlarged Union, both future Member States and the EU need to be ready at the time of accession. Work on both tracks should advance in parallel.

As reported earlier, the European Council summit is taking place in Brussels. The leaders of the EU countries are considering decisions of historic significance for Ukraine. The European Council approved the decision to launch negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova regarding future membership, and continues the discussion of the proposal to create a Ukraine Facility in the amount of EUR 50 billion in the revised EU long-term budget for 2024-2027.