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Hungary Clears Path for Ukraine to Open Two More EU Accession Clusters
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Hungary has agreed to allow Ukraine to advance in its EU accession negotiations and move toward opening negotiating clusters 2 and 3, European Pravda reported on October 7.
Budapest lifted its previous block on the screening results for Cluster 2, covering the internal market, and Cluster 3, covering competitiveness and inclusive growth.
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Hungary previously blocked approval of the screening results for the two clusters for several months, preventing Ukraine from moving to the next procedural stage. In September, Budapest was the only EU member state withholding consent for the process to advance.
“The COELA group approved the screening results for clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine, and today at Coreper the ambassadors of EU states agreed to send letters to the governments of Ukraine and Moldova requesting the presentation of negotiating positions,” an EU source familiar with the talks told European Pravda.
The source noted that the remaining procedural steps could now move quickly. EU negotiating positions for both clusters are expected to be prepared by COELA in the coming days.
EU member states could approve the negotiating positions as early as October 12, after Ukraine’s parliament is expected to adopt legislative changes concerning education in national minority languages.
A Ukraine-EU intergovernmental conference could then take place on October 13, allowing clusters 2 and 3 to be formally opened, European Pravda reported.
The dispute was tied in part to Budapest’s demands concerning the language and education rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Hungary’s new government had previously entered talks with Kyiv over an 11-point plan addressing minority rights.
Ukraine had already opened the first “Fundamentals” cluster in its EU accession negotiations in June, covering areas including democratic institutions, judicial independence, and the rule of law.
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