Ukrainian civil society calls on EU to overcome Hungary's veto on accession talks
Dozens of Ukrainian civil society organisations have signed an appeal calling on the foreign ministers of EU member states to find a way to unblock the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine – currently held up by Hungary's opposition.
Source: The appeal, initiated by the Ukrainian Centre for European Policy and the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform, that has been signed by numerous civil society groups, including European Pravda.
Details: The open letter warns that Ukraine's integration into the EU "faces challenges, as bilateral issues might obstruct the overall accession negotiation process" – a veiled reference to Hungary. It urges EU ministers to increase their efforts towards building a consensus among EU member states with regard to the opening of Cluster 1, Fundamentals, for Ukraine.
"At this stage, Ukraine has completed its 'pre-accession homework'. However, moving forward now requires approval and support of the EU Member States for it to officially open Cluster 1, Fundamentals. This decision will benefit Ukraine as a candidate country and the EU as a whole," the letter reads.
The signatories emphasise that taking concrete steps forward in the accession process and maintaining a credible prospect for full EU membership serves as a strong motivator for Ukrainian politicians to implement reforms effectively and to the full extent.
They also note that reforms within the first negotiation cluster, Fundamentals, will further enhance democratic transformations in Ukraine, and that civil society is ready to monitor their effective implementation: "We fully support the idea that the accession process should follow a merit-based methodology. To this end, we stand ready to cooperate with EU Member States by providing our analytical reports on the accession negotiation process."
Background:
Ukraine and the European Commission had ambitious plans for progressing accession talks in 2025, but Hungary's veto has become a major obstacle. Recently, there have been signs that the European Union was considering continuing Moldova's accession process separately from Ukraine amid Hungary's opposition to negotiations with Kyiv.
Following talks in Budapest on 29 April, Ukraine and Hungary agreed to hold regular talks with the aim of unblocking Ukraine's EU accession negotiations.
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