The European Commission started working on delivering an opinion on the basis of the application for EU membership for Ukraine.
Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said.
"At EU Foreign Ministers meeting FAC for EU Commission today: EU continues to stand by Ukraine & its people, delivering assistance. And we started working on delivering an opinion on the basis of the application for membership for Ukraine. We will work as fast as we can," he said.
On 28 February, the fifth day of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application for immediate accession to the European Union under a simplified procedure. Such an application for Ukraine was initiated by Slovakia, and the decision to accelerate membership was supported by a number of EU countries, including Hungary.
On 1 March, the European Parliament recommended granting Ukraine EU candidate status.
On 7 March, the EU launches a review of applications from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. On the same day, Bloomberg reported citing European diplomats that several western European Union countries were pushing back against calls for the bloc to grant Ukraine candidate status that week. Germany, the Netherlands and others first wanted the EU’s executive arm to deliver its opinion on Ukraine’s readiness for the membership process before taking a political decision regarding candidacy.
At a summit in Versailles on 11 March, EU heads of state and government discussed Ukraine's application for EU membership.
EU leaders issued a statement saying “yes” to Ukraine’s European integration. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said, calling the decision historic.
At #EU Foreign Ministers meeting #FAC for @EU_Commission today: #EU continues to stand by #Ukraine & its people, delivering assistance. And we started working on delivering an opinion on the basis of the application for membership for #Ukraine. We will work as fast as we can. pic.twitter.com/XnoRkHkurq
— Oliver Varhelyi (@OliverVarhelyi) March 21, 2022
On 18 March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Zelensky that a response to Ukraine's application for membership in the EU would be ready in a few months.
Once the application has been processed, Ukraine can be granted candidate status. The accession process can take years.