Today, the EU Council’s enlargement working group COELA will once again review documents on clusters 2 and 3 in the negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
This was reported by Yevropeyska Pravda, citing a source.
Cluster 2 is the Internal Market, and cluster 3 is Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth.
The meeting is due to begin at 11:00 Kyiv time. The issue of progress on clusters 2–3 for Ukraine and Moldova is third and fourth on the agenda, after consideration of matters relating to Albania and Montenegro.
“Later the same day, Coreper is expected to approve the screening reports and allow letters to be sent to Ukraine and Moldova regarding the submission of negotiating positions on these two clusters,” the source added.
According to the publication’s interlocutor, Hungary is expected not to block their approval.
Asked whether Hungary has already sent a clear signal that it agrees to the opening of the clusters, the source replied that “it looks like there will be no surprises”.
An invitation for Ukraine and Moldova to submit their negotiating positions is a necessary step before the talks can move forward. The ultimate aim is to schedule an Intergovernmental Conference for Tuesday, 13 October, at which the clusters will be opened.
- Earlier, the Financial Times, citing two European officials, wrote that Hungary may soften its veto on advancing negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar reportedly instructed diplomats not to block the sending of letters to Ukraine and Moldova regarding the possible opening of two more negotiating clusters linked to the internal market and competitiveness.
- At the same time, Budapest’s full political support will depend on whether Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada passes a law on 12 October to expand opportunities for the education of national minorities. The issue of the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine has long remained one of Budapest’s key concerns.