Ukraine could close at least seven of the 35 chapters in accession negotiations with the European Union as early as 2027, if it meets interim rule-of-law benchmarks.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said this during a briefing for Ukrainian journalists in Brussels, Ukrinform reports.
According to Kos, the European Commission hopes that the fourth and fifth negotiating clusters can be opened by the end of 2026.
Next year, in the Commissioner’s view, Ukraine will be able to meet interim rule-of-law benchmarks, after which it can expect to close at least seven negotiating chapters.
Among the areas where progress would be made, Marta Kos cited social policy, foreign policy, competition law and other fields.
- The European Commission is proposing introducing a new model of gradual integration for candidate countries on the path to EU membership. It is intended to complement and strengthen the current accession process.