The European Commission is considering the possibility of starting negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the European Union, despite Hungary blocking this process. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi explained in detail that the technical preparation for opening negotiation clusters can take place even before a formal political decision, provided it is supported by the EU Council.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Technical Progress Without Formal Agreement
Olivér Várhelyi emphasized that for many steps in the accession process, unanimous support from all EU member states is not necessarily required, except for key moments—granting candidate status and completing negotiations. He stressed:
“If we really want to achieve results, we need to consider—do we really need unanimity for each of the 150 steps in the accession process? We must maintain the principle of unanimity for granting status (candidate) and for completing the process—I will always fight for that. But is unanimity also needed just to send a letter?”
The European Commission plans to obtain a mandate from the EU Council to continue negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova at the expert level. A relevant proposal is already being prepared, and all necessary documents are to be submitted to the EU Council during November. This will allow, if supported, to start working on opening clusters before the end of the current year.
Negotiation Process and Hungary’s Position
According to the procedure, candidate countries must undergo negotiations within 35 chapters of EU legislation, grouped into 6 thematic clusters. The opening and closing of each cluster requires unanimous consent from member states. This is where Hungary is blocking progress for Ukraine, insisting on its position that Ukraine’s accession to the EU could lead to negative consequences for Europe. Due to this stance, Moldova, which is moving towards European integration closely linked with Ukraine, remains blocked alongside Ukraine.
The opening of negotiation clusters signifies the beginning of concrete reforms to align legislation with EU standards in the areas of the rule of law, governance, energy, agriculture, the internal market, and foreign policy. According to the latest report from the European Commission for 2025, Moldova has demonstrated the most progress in reforms among candidate countries.
Currently, the European Commission believes that the ambitious goal of opening negotiation clusters for Ukraine and Moldova by the end of the year is achievable if the EU Council can consolidate its position and make the necessary decisions.