The European Union on Tuesday moved Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro a step closer to membership during a series of accession conferences, revitalising an enlargement drive spurred by shifting geopolitical realities since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine successfully managed to move a step closer towards entering the European Union after EU affairs ministers formally approved the opening of Cluster 6.
Cluster 6 covers external relations and is considered one of the core themes of the EU accession negotiations. Ukraine has so far opened only one other cluster: Cluster 1, which focuses on the fundamentals, including the rule of law.
Cluster 6 has also been opened to Moldova on Tuesday, with the countries’ EU accession pathways linked.
Several accession chapters, the individual negotiating areas within the clusters, are to be provisionally closed for Western Balkan frontrunners Albania and Montenegro during what EU officials have dubbed an accession “Super Tuesday.”
Ukraine and Moldova applied for EU membership following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both countries seeking to bolster their security and defence against Russia.
The opening of additional negotiation clusters for Ukraine brings to an end a two-year political deadlock driven by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who repeatedly used Hungary’s veto power in the Council to block progress.
Orbán had held up Kyiv’s accession bid over a dispute concerning the treatment of the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine.
However, Montenegro has been the frontrunner of this accession process as their total number of closed chapter rises to 18. It will now remain up to the Irish Presidency to conclude negotiations on the remaining 15 chapters.
For Albania today was a historic day as it managed to close its first three chapters of its EU accession path.
The European Commission considers both countries technically ready to open all negotiating clusters, leaving the next steps in the hands of the EU’s 27 member states.