Ukraine advances EU membership bid with 4 of 6 integration to-do lists unlocked
The move was made possible the day after Ukraine's parliament passed a law bolstering the rights of the country's Hungarian-speaking minority — a demand that Hungary had said must be fulfilled before it would allow further progress.
LUXEMBOURG — Ukraine marked a significant step towards EU membership on October 13 by opening two additional enlargement clusters, internal market and competitiveness, during a ceremony in Luxembourg. This achievement comes after the Ukrainian parliament passed a law protecting the rights of the Hungarian-speaking minority, a request that Hungary had previously insisted must be met before further progress could be made.
Ukraine and Moldova have been working together to unlock all six enlargement clusters required for membership. So far, they have successfully opened the first cluster on the rule of law and another on external relations. Only two clusters remain, including those related to agriculture and transport, which could prove challenging due to Ukraine's economic strengths in these sectors.
The European Commission recently proposed special treatment for Ukraine's agricultural sector during the enlargement process, aiming to safeguard European farmers while facilitating Ukraine's exports. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos concurred, emphasizing that the focus should be on addressing both sides' needs to form the accession treaty. Kos assured that special considerations for Ukraine's agricultural sector will not stall the process.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
