12/18/2023 – Ukraine and the EU: what to expect from the accession negotiations?

From: Ukraine.ua by Ivan Shovkoplias

After many years of Ukraine’s progress on its European integration track and attaining its candidate status in June 2022, the country has reached a new historic milestone. On December 14, 2023, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.

What does this mean? How close is Ukraine to EU membership? What will this new stage represent? Let’s take a closer look.

Address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the European Council meeting. December 14, 2023.
Photo: Presidential Office of Ukraine

What’s next in Ukraine’s EU integration process?

EU integration is well-known for its complexity. A few crucial steps remain after the decision to open accession negotiations. Here’s a quick rundown of what they will likely be:

If any additional conditions are announced, Ukraine will need to implement those as well, based on what the European Council decides.
Next, the negotiation framework will be adopted. This sets the boundaries for the talks, so both sides have a clear understanding of the expectations.
The European Commission should also carry out a comprehensive analysis of the conformity of Ukraine’s legislation to the EU acquis, so-called “screening.”
The negotiation framework will open the path for Ukraine to open accession talks on the first so-called ‘negotiation cluster’ – Fundamentals, which is related to Justice, Fundamental Rights, Public Procurement, and some others.

Voice of Ukraine