Hungary has once again refused to approve the screening results for two important clusters for Ukraine.
This happened on 1 September at the first meeting after the summer break of the EU Council’s Working Party on Enlargement (COELA), European Pravda reports.
Hungarian representatives prevented the EU Council from moving forward with opening Clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine. Media sources note that the situation has remained unchanged since July. At the same time, Budapest agreed to approve the screening results for Cluster 3 only for Moldova.
Hungary’s stance effectively separates Ukraine and Moldova on their path to the European Union. However, most EU countries, led by the presiding Ireland, oppose splitting the two states.
The next meeting of the COELA working party will take place on 2 September. However, the issue of Ukraine and Moldova has already been removed from the agenda.
- On 17 July, during a meeting of the EU Council’s Working Party on Enlargement, Hungary refused to begin the process of opening the second and third negotiating clusters for Ukraine.
- At the same time, Budapest agreed to open the third cluster for Moldova.
- The European Commission later said that Ukraine is ready to open all six negotiating clusters.