European Commission Set Tough Conditions for Ukraine’s EU Accession – Politico

The European Commission has prepared a new roadmap for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, which foresees limited progress in negotiations over the course of 2027 year. At the same time, Brussels refrained from setting a specific date for Ukraine’s EU membership. This was reported by Glavcom citing Politico, which obtained the relevant document.

In the document the European Commission urges Ukraine to “urgently and significantly accelerate the pace of reforms in the area of the rule of law.” Meeting the key requirements in the first half of 2027 year will become a necessary condition for the preliminary conclusion of negotiations in certain areas.

According to the plan, next year Ukraine could potentially complete negotiations in seven areas. In the first half of the year these concern education and culture, and in the second half they concern intellectual property, employment and social policy, industry, scientific research, external relations, as well as foreign policy and security.

At the same time, the European Commission envisaged a significantly more ambitious scenario for Moldova. Chișinău could preliminarily complete negotiations in more than 20 areas in 2027 year. Such a difference creates the conditions for an effective split in the European integration processes of the two states, which had previously proceeded in parallel.

Brussels acknowledges that carrying out the necessary reforms is complicated by the full-scale war. To support the Ukrainian authorities, the European Commission has created a special task force that will help accelerate compliance with EU requirements.

At the same time, the document remains open to revision. If Ukraine implements reforms faster, the number of areas in which negotiations can be completed in 2027 year may increase.

Separately, the European Commission called for opening negotiations on two clusters that remain blocked by the end of 2026 year. These are the green agenda and sustainable connectivity cluster, and the resources, agriculture and cohesion policy cluster. According to Brussels’ assessment, Ukraine has already met the necessary conditions for their opening.

However, even completing the negotiations will not automatically mean accession to the EU. Ukraine will have to go through additional procedures, including the agreement to and ratification of a membership treaty.

Recall that earlier former Ukrainian ambassador to the United States Olga Stefanishyna told Glavcom in an interview that she identified two main obstacles on Ukraine’s path to the EU. According to her, European integration reforms may face resistance from some deputies and businesses that seek to protect their interests. The second problem she named was the inability of the state apparatus to draft quality legislation, which complicates the implementation of European standards.

It was also reported that Hungary delayed the opening of new negotiation clusters for Ukraine and Moldova. Budapest’s position became one of the obstacles to further progress in accession talks with the European Union.